Grappling and business are alike in many ways. Take throws, for example.
You can drop an opponent with a foot sweep (ashi-waza). It costs little effort, like a call option. Once he falls, he may never get up.
Losses are limited. Gains can be unlimited.
Then there are sacrifice techniques (sutemi-waza). Say your opponent charges hard. Instead of resisting, you fall backward, plant your foot in his stomach, and throw him over you.
That move is exactly like capital expenditures (CAPEX).
You cannot build one-third of a factory or buy five percent of a machine. You take the loan, pay the full price up front, plus a pile of extra costs. I am simplifying, but the point is clear:
You make a big sacrifice with no guarantee of return.
Given the choice, a founder would pick the call option over CAPEX every time. Uncertainty lies ahead—why tie your hands? The best strategy is to gain every possible upside without risking anything at all.
Unfortunately, in grappling, business, and life, that choice is not always there. Sometimes you give everything you have and then wait for the verdict—sometimes for years.
Deciding to do it is already an achievement. Enduring to the end is even more so.
So what does an entrepreneur think with, if the mind cannot predict the future?
He does not need to think. The potential is so vast it redeems everything. Besides, he does not wait for the Wow-future—he shapes it himself.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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