Living with Uncertainty, Facing Reality and the Key to Survival

Many of my clients are understandably nervous about the dramatic change in market conditions. Plans for growth that once seemed so certain now seem more precarious and in some cases, opportunities that are no longer feasible. This new environment brings tremendous added tensions, atop the “normal” stress that’s part of running a start-up.

Stress is really not a byproduct of the problem itself. It’s a byproduct of the uncertainty about how to solve the problem and then whether the proposed solution will achieve the desired results. When we think about things that have been stressful in the past, whether involving a personal or business matter, this is always the case.

Millions of years of evolution have left us biologically averse to change and its cousin, uncertainty. Our ancestors liked knowing that food was in that direction, water in another and danger over there. And then there was the fourth direction: the place where nobody knew what was in that place. And as long as things were fine, people were happy to leave that place of uncertainty uncharted.

But then the water and food started to run low. Most everyone became worried about the future, knowing that there were not enough resources to sustain everyone. Many simply decided to stay put, hoping that “things would work themselves out”. They lived in fear and stress as they awaited the outcome. But others were unwilling to allow fate to determine their course, calculating that unless they confronted the unknown, their fate was likely to end badly.

Those others took stock of their assets and determined that to survive, they needed to move. But to survive, they needed to focus on and retain just those things that were essential to get them to the next source of sustenance. And so after careful deliberation, review of their options and risk analysis (these were sophisticated cavepeople ) they set-off on the journey.

As they traveled, they gathered new observations and information, adjusting course as needed. In the end, some perished, but many made it to the next place and prospered. Sometime later, a party returned to their former place to check on those who refused to acknowledge the new reality and were afraid to adapt. What they found was a place devoid of life; all had perished.

Today we are confronting the depletion not of food and water, but rather a start-up’s source of sustenance: readily available financing. Those who survive will confront reality quickly and adjust accordingly. The fastest way to reduce your stress is to face facts, review your options (however less than optimal they may be), make decisions and then implement. Don’t let the future just “happen”. Make the decision to make happen the future for your company that you choose.

Let’s talk through your options.

stevegoldin@proptechcoaching.com