But I do believe that great art can be created (and great companies built…) by normal people living balanced lives. The romance of wild mad Van Gogh and tortured soul Phillip K Dick making magic while fighting demons to the depths and heights….just isn't scalable. Maybe that's where experienced mentors like you come in. To do as much good as it can, entrepreneurship needs to be viewed and understood (and developed…) as a respectable profession you can pursue while raising a family.

So I get the walk into the fire image, but I don't think the guy made a noble choice. He didn't give himself up to his art. He quit on the much harder job – becoming a whole person.

Found you through Fred W recommendation. Look forward to reading more of your ideas. Well crafted and very thought provoking!

There's a value in seeing that this pursuit can be ego-centric and, therefore, deadly.
But the struggle isn't simply dismissed. If the person truly believes that they are changing the world, making it a better place, the seductive power of the work can be overwhelming. And, of course, it's easy and perhaps even politically correct to dismiss, say, someone who pursue a career in investment banking as having been ego-centric.

But what about the person who is truly saving lives, acting a true bodhisattva? It can be equally dangerous for them as well.

Lastly, in my work with my client I do not see a gender distinction. I do not see “men” being more fascinated, lured into the kiln, than women. Our boys may be socialized differently than our girls and so we may seem more male entrepreneurs than female. But in my empirical work with hundreds of clients (easily 40% of them women), I see no difference in the struggle.

This is a human struggle.

There's no easy answer unfortunately. I suspect the anxiety (of which I am very familiar fro my own life as well as those of my clients) stems from some deeper issues than being an entrepreneur exacerbates. While it can bring out the best in us it can also bring out all of our more difficulty tendencies. And the loneliness of it all is so heartbreaking.

If I all I ever do with my coaching, my workshops, my writing is to make it safe and acceptable to speak about these things, I will feel complete.

The fact that it is a struggle to speak about these things, openly and clearly, is a huge problem.
Thanks for sharing your experience. And if you're in NY, come to the workshop I'm doing at General Assembly.

2) There sure is a great attraction of getting lost in your work – like an artist does because a) he is so engrossed in and so in love with it and b) it is his escape of sorts. Point taken.

3) The Fred Wilsons, Colonnas and Feld are by far the exception (six sigma events) in the VC community. The general track record of VCs is not a proud one as we all know it. Case in Point: They would not call the entrepreneurs “their partners”. Most often, the relationship is more that of Employee/Employer. QED.

4) The point of my clumsy expression was only to highlight that people are educated to become idealists, to believe that intangibles (quality) ultimately drive the tangibles (quantity). And yet, they repeatedly take decisions based largely on the tangibles to make quantity the unfortunately law of life.

Did the entrepreneur-hero of this post make his #s? Was he able to “erase that failure off his resume”? Did he get another round of funding? Or did this bump haunt him more than it should have?

It's Eric, we met briefly over on Fred's post. You are addressing a problem I have struggled with my whole life. At 27 I started a company that just took off. I sold it 5 years later to Morgan Stanley and soon was back in the valley going at it again.

As wonderful as that sounds, the reality is that in the process I lost total balance. I worked for 5 years without a day off. If not for a wonderful wife, I'm sure I'd be divorced or worse today. In addition, I gained lots of weight and was besought with anxiety.

Long short — got back in shape and as of a year ago I have restarted the same as before. Weight is piling on, anxiety is on the climb and sleep is practically non-existent. I promised myself that I would this time enjoy the process, but in reality, the end goal is so drilled in my existence — it is almost impossible.

I'm sure I'm relating a scenario you are personally and professionally familiar with, although your reactions to anxiety may be different than mine.

Here is where it does get more complicated and downright confusing. My actions as stated above are of course exactly what my professional investors want me to be doing — and if I could be so bold — feeling. They want to know you are full on and that their, your interest is your all consuming passion and focus. I struggle with this greatly.

Then throw in the part about the realities of your employees and the fact that most do at best about 90% of what you do. Back off a little and so do they — only more. I think you get the idea.

That is to me the entrepreneurs ultimate struggle. Being an entrepreneur is a lonely place. Much like great comedians are often driven by a lack of self confidence, I do believe most entrepreneurs are driven by a tremendous fear of failure and an affront to their professional pride.

Well, I could go on and on… Your thoughs?

Eric

Building companies is H A R D. And very often the issue is with the macro assumptions. Can you handle it if it turns our you're wrong?