This isn’t your neighborhood little league. You’re competing against the best, and you have to be the best if you hope to win in the marketplace. Capitalism is ruthless, so don’t expect any mercy. Customers are flippant. One day you’re flying high, the next you’re bottoming out. Entrepreneurship is as competitive and cut-throat as the NFL. You’re going to have to pour it on and give it everything you’ve got. Just when you think you nailed it, the market will shift, a new competitor will enter, or something will go wrong. Right when you reach the top, you’ll get knocked off. To win, you’ll have to excel at the fundamentals, stay eternally vigilant of encroachers, and always search for new opportunities. Then, the moment you start to get traction you can expect company. Current competitors or other aspiring entrepreneurs will take notice of your success and copy your model. Start your business with your eyes wide open, know what you’re getting into, and understand how truly difficult the startup path is. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
