Nobody ever speaks about the absolute effort that goes into building something worth notice. Hell, everybody wants to talk about passion or intelligence, or even timing. But reality? You got to outwork 'em all. Otherwise, somebody else will.
Simple.
I have seen this play out many, many times. When I started my own small business, well, naively, I thought this was all about having the best product or the best pitch. But it wasn't. I would constantly find myself getting blind-sided by some competitor that just simply was better prepared, knew more, and did the work I hadn't.
The problem with most people, especially new entrepreneurs, is that they are just not obsessed enough with learning. It is rather that which kills them before they get the chance even to really kick off. I can recall being in a meeting, unprepared, and the humiliation that followed stuck with me. The worst part wasn't that I didn't know the answer; it was that I didn't even know the question.
I never wanted to feel that way again, so I buried myself in every scrap of information I could find about my industry.
You've got to make paranoia work for you.
When you walk into any room, assume there's someone in there who knows more than you.
It's the effort and knowledge that's the real hustle. Everybody likes to think there is some secret sauce, but it's right in front of us. Most just aren't willing to work 24 hours like it's all about to be taken away. That's where they lose.