Business is strikingly similar to a football.
By itself, it’s inert, always seeking rest.
When it rolls, friction slows it down. When it flies, gravity pulls it back. Even when still, time wears down its surface, and tiny organisms break it apart.
A ball serves its purpose only when someone acts on it—cleaning it, kicking it, sending it forward.
Some founders see business differently—as a living organism. It’s a good metaphor, but flawed. It creates the illusion that one day, the business will run itself.
It won’t. Like a bonsai tree, it will always need its owner—watering, pruning, protection from disease, and careful tending of the soil.
You can sell your business tree—through a private deal or an IPO—but whether it thrives or withers depends on the balance of order and chaos in its new owners’ minds.
So don’t dream that your ball will one day turn into an eagle.
But here’s the good news: you can stop ruining it—leaving it in the sun, tossing it in a river, kicking it into traffic.
Most importantly, learn to strike with power, precision, and distance. While the ball soars and rolls, you can pause, catch your breath, and look around. Who knows? The game may have changed, and a better goal may have appeared.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.