We love rags-to-riches stories. That is why every social platform is full of them. And they make us wonder — how come everybody gets lucky except me?
The reason is that stories other than rags-to-riches are not considered stories! They don’t motivate anyone — so there is no market for them.
Hence there is a huge selection bias in what stories go viral on the internet.
I know I sound cynical but rags-to-riches stories are rare and often oversold. The world is brutal and not that many make it really, really big. But you don’t have to.
The most common success story is of people who started small, probably went to no-name colleges, but over the years, have grown in stature and wealth — and I know many such people. Some are in good jobs. A few run small tech companies.
But unfortunately, their stories don’t sell or get told.
You don’t need to become a billionaire tycoon or launch rockets on weekends to be considered successful. 90% of the success comes from small, consistent progress.
Your story need not go viral to be real. It is already real for people who care about you.
– Rajan