Business is like basketball

June 09, 2024

Am I good at business?

I failed at 3 businesses before I had any success with Distru. There are a million reasons why businesses fail, but when I was a new entrepreneur, it was always because I didn't have confidence that I knew how to make money.

I repeat, I didn't have confidence that I knew how to make money.

This is unfortunately the harsh truth for most people new to starting a business. But once you've made that first dollar, your confidence goes up, and everything in turn becomes easier.

Business is like basketball

Making money in business is like making a hoop in basketball. If you've never shot a ball, you're probably not going to make a hoop the first few times you try.

The same is true in business; the first few businesses you start probably won't make money.

I repeat, the first few businesses you start probably won't make money.

The difference is that it takes a few seconds to try and make a hoop in basketball, so you can just try again and again without much effort until you make a hoop.

However, it takes months to try and start a new business, making each failed attempt more taxing than the last.

Putting in the reps

Looking back, I realize that my expectations as a new entrepreneur were way too unrealistic. I didn't want to deal with the idea of failure. It's as unrealistic as someone who's never touched a basketball in their life expecting to make a hoop the first time they shoot.

Most people aren't born with an innate ability to make a hoop, just like how most people aren't born with an innate ability to make money in business.

It is a skill that you must fail at, practice, and hone over time. You need to put in reps.


📧 johnny@johnnyji.com