Yesterday, in one of my first mid-week bike rides of the almost-Spring season (officially Spring starts here after Pesach [Passover]) I was thinking to myself how good it was that I was able to jump out of the office and into nature, getting in a 1.5 hour ride between conference calls (I don't eat lunch, so have that "extra" time in the middle of the day....). And of course, like my virtual friend Richard Dale of Venture Cyclist fame, thinking about how my biking weaves its way into thinking about start-up life.
Just as I was musing about how start-up entrepreneurs need to be absolutely dedicated to their cause/company, but still need to stay sane and get fresh air by enjoying nature, I came across this fellow:
Yes, it was a turtle crossing the road (and thank God not a well traveled road, friendly to bikers as well as turtles). That turtle was moving as fast as he could, determined to cross that road (because there is always something better on the other side). Did not matter to the turtle the risk involved, he was forging ahead. Now, truth be told, like any good start-up story, he also had some luck--my friend Robby Berman , who inspired me to ride with him in the middle of the workday, could not bear the thought that after us might come a car, and picked up the turtle and moved him beyond the yellow line...Because with all the dedication in the world, without some luck and helping hands you could end up as roadkill.
Moral of the story: even the turtle realized that he needed to take a chance, enjoy the first hints of Spring, and hope for some luck. May we all be turtles in our own way.