Two of my friends were doing a startup together – both exceptionally smart and good human beings. But unfortunately, their startup did not do well.
One of them continued toiling, while the other one quit. Would you say that the guy who quit lacked perseverance?
Now let me give you another data point – the guy who quit founded another startup, which became a mega unicorn.
Now, what do you think?
We often misunderstand grit and perseverance. Grit does NOT mean that you keep doing something regardless of whether it makes sense or not. Grit is not like being an unguided missile, which keeps going even when off-target.
Grit is about not giving up on your big goals, while you make tactical adjustments, pivots, and even change directions.
If something does not make sense, don’t hesitate to try new things. Stopping something to experiment with something else, when it makes sense, is not quitting.
Quitting is when you stop trying – when you totally give up on your big goals. So don’t quit but be flexible.
– Rajan