Why Founders Shouldn’t Quit: Mattgray on Overcoming Setbacks

In a recent LinkedIn post, Mattgray shares compelling insights for founders grappling with the daily urge to quit. He addresses the common founder’s struggle where perceived small wins and significant setbacks can lead to feelings of being behind. Mattgray’s central argument is that the journey of entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges, and many admired leaders have faced similar moments of near-failure.

He highlights that the desire to quit is a frequent companion on the entrepreneurial path. Mattgray writes:

“There was a season in my life where I wanted to quit every single day. The wins felt too small. The setbacks felt too big. I kept thinking I was behind.”

Mattgray then pivots to studying the experiences of successful individuals, discovering a shared pattern of almost giving up. He presents seven truths that he believes every founder needs when the path forward seems too daunting.

Rejection as Redirection

One of the core tenets Mattgray emphasizes is reframing rejection. He points out that apparent failures are often not dead ends but rather detours toward greater opportunities. As Mattgray illustrates with the example of Steve Jobs:

“Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded. He came back and built the iPhone. The door that slams in your face isn’t the end of the story. It’s the universe rerouting you toward something bigger than what you were chasing.”

This perspective encourages founders to see obstacles not as definitive endings but as course corrections.

The Power of Persistence and Counting Failures

Mattgray underscores the importance of sheer persistence, using James Dyson’s journey as a prime example. He notes that Dyson’s eventual success with his vacuum cleaner came after thousands of failed prototypes.

Dyson’s 5,127 Attempts

According to Mattgray, the critical differentiator for individuals like Dyson is their willingness to continue despite repeated failures. He states:

“The only difference between him and everyone who quit is that he kept counting. Every failure is a number in the wrong column.”

This highlights the idea that each setback, while seemingly negative, is a step closer to a solution when viewed as part of a cumulative process.

Challenging Self-Doubt and External Criticism

Further exploring the psychological hurdles, Mattgray tackles the notion of inadequacy, particularly the idea of not being creative enough. He uses the example of Walt Disney, who faced significant professional setbacks early in his career, including being fired and having his animation studio go bankrupt.

Disneyland’s 302 Rejections

Mattgray argues that external doubts and criticisms are common, but founders should not internalize them. He writes:

“The world is full of people whose only job is to underestimate you. Don’t let their ceiling become yours.”

This sentiment is echoed in his discussion of Reed Hastings and Netflix, who were famously rejected by Blockbuster. Mattgray suggests that those who mock or dismiss innovative ideas today often become footnotes in the history of successful ventures.

Embracing the Founder’s Timeline and Delusion

Mattgray also addresses the pressure founders feel regarding their timeline. He provides examples like Stan Lee, Jack Ma, and Soichiro Honda, all of whom achieved significant success later in life or after numerous rejections.

The Foundation of Future Success

In Mattgray’s view, founders are not necessarily late but are actively laying the groundwork for future achievements that may not be immediately visible. He advocates for a degree of ‘delusion,’ suggesting that groundbreaking achievements often stem from a refusal to accept conventional realism.

He concludes by reiterating that the feeling of being behind is a common illusion during the challenging ‘messy middle’ of building a business. Mattgray encourages founders to remember that the admired entrepreneurs they look up to also have a history of failures they’ve overcome by continuing to build, count, and persevere.