Sitemaps
How We Secretly Lose Control of Our Startups
Should Kids Follow in Our Founder Footsteps?
The Evolution of Entry Level Workers
Assume Everyone Will Leave in Year One
Stop Listening to Investors
Was Mortgaging My Life Worth it?
What's My Startup Worth in an Acquisition?
When Our Ambition is Our Enemy
Are Startups in a "Silent Recession"?
The 5 Types of Startup Funding
What Is Startup Funding?
Do Founders Deserve Their Profit?
Michelle Glauser on Diversity and Inclusion
The Utter STUPIDITY of "Risking it All"
Committees Are Where Progress Goes to Die
More Money (Really Means) More Problems
Why Most Founders Don't Get Rich
Investors will be Obsolete
Why is a Founder so Hard to Replace?
We Can't Grow by Saying "No"
Do People Really Want Me to Succeed?
Is the Problem the Player or the Coach?
Will Investors Bail Me Out?
The Value of Actually Getting Paid
Why do Founders Suck at Asking for Help?
Wait a Minute before Giving Away Equity
You Only Think You Work Hard
SMALL is the New Big — Embracing Efficiency in the Age of AI
The 9 Best Growth Agencies for Startups
This is BOOTSTRAPPED — 3 Strategies to Build Your Startup Without Funding
Never Share Your Net Worth
A Steady Hand in the Middle of the Storm
Risk it All vs Steady Paycheck
How About a Startup that Just Makes Money?
How to Recruit a Rockstar Advisor
Why Having Zero Experience is a Huge Asset
My Competitor Got Funded — Am I Screwed?
The Hidden Treasure of Failed Startups
If It Makes Money, It Makes Sense
Why do VCs Keep Giving Failed Founders Money?
$10K Per Month isn't Just Revenue — It's Life Support
The Ridiculous Spectrum of Investor Feedback
Startup CEOs Aren't Really CEOs
Series A, B, C, D, and E Funding: How It Works
Best Pitch Decks Ever: The Most Successful Fundraising Pitches You Need to Know
When to Raise Funds
Why Aren't Investors Responding to Me?
Should I Regret Not Raising Capital?
Unemployment Cases — Why I LOOOOOVE To Win Them So Much.
How Much to Pay Yourself
Heat-Seeking Missile: WePay’s Journey to Product-Market Fit — Interview with Rich Aberman, Co-Founder of Wepay
The R&D technique for startups: Rip off & Duplicate
Why Some Startups Win.
Chapter #1: First Steps To Validate Your Business Idea
Product Users, Not Ideas, Will Determine Your Startup’s Fate
Drop Your Free Tier
Your Advisors Are Probably Wrong
Growth Isn't Always Good
How to Shut Down Gracefully
How Does My Startup Get Acquired?
Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?
How to Pick the Wrong Co-Founder
Staying Small While Going Big
Investors are NOT on Our Side of the Table
Who am I Really Competing Against?
Why Can't Founders Replace Themselves?
Actually, We Have Plenty of Time
Quitting vs Letting Go
How Startups Actually Get Bought
What if I'm Building the Wrong Product?
Are Founders Driven by Fear or Greed?
Why I'm Either Working or Feeling Guilty
Startup Financial Assumptions
Why Every Kid Should be a Startup Founder
We Only Have to be Right Once
If a Startup Sinks, Founders Go Down With it
Founder Success: We Need a Strict Definition of Personal Success
Is Quiet Quitting a Problem at Startup Companies?
Founder Exits are Hard Work and Good Fortune, Not "Good Luck"
Finalizing Startup Projections
All Founders are Beloved In Good Times
Our Startup Culture of Entitlement
The Bullshit Case for Raising Capital
How do We Manage Our Founder Flaws?
What If my plan for retirement is "never retire"?
Startup Failure is just One Chapter in Founder Life
6 Similarities between Startup Founders and Pro Athletes
All Founders Make Bad Decisions — and That's OK
Startup Board Negotiations: How do I tell the board I need a new deal?
Founder Sacrifice — At What Point Have I Gone Too Far?
Youth Entrepreneurship: Can Middle Schoolers be Founders?
Living the Founder Legend Isn't so Fun
Why Do VC Funded Startups Love "Fake Growth?"
How Should I Share My Wealth with Family?
How Many Deaths Can a Startup Survive?
This is Probably Your Last Success
Why Do We Still Have Full-Time Employees?
The Case Against Full Transparency
Should I Feel Guilty for Failing?
Always Take Money off the Table

16 Surprisingly Educational Hobbies

Young Entrepreneur Council

16 Surprisingly Educational Hobbies

Question: What unrelated hobby has taught you the most about business?

Marathon Running

“Running involves discipline and a lot of hard work. You can’t fake it when it comes to finishing 26.2 miles. You definitely get out of it what you put in. Not only does it involve physical toughness, but a considerable amount of mental strength and focus as well. Comparisons can be drawn to business when it comes to knowing your capabilities, working hard, using your wits and not giving up.”

— Michael Quinn
Yellow Bridge Interactive
@ybinteractive

Poker

“Poker is a game of incomplete information. You know what cards you have but are making educated guesses and playing odds based on your opponent’s cards. Business is similar. You can collect data all day, but ultimately you have to act before you have all the information. Learn to play the odds rather than to wait for certainty.”

— John Rood
Next Step Test Preparation
@johnrood

Chess

“Chess has taught me to look four, five, or six moves down the road. Always know the long-term strategy, but be flexible enough to adapt when an unexpected opportunity or challenge arises.”

— Corey Blake
Round Table Companies
@CoreyBlake9000

Riding

“I ride my horse as often as I can. This hobby hasn’t added to my practical knowledge about running a business, but it has taught me a lot about balance, both literally and figuratively, which serves me well in my professional life. Being an entrepreneur is a daily balance exercise. My horse helps me better manage this.”

— David Ehrenberg
Early Growth Financial Services
@EarlyGrowthFS

Theater

“Since a young age, I was involved in a lot of theater productions. The act of putting together a musical or play has a lot of similarities to putting together a business. Many people and diverse talents must come together to collaborate, and there are a lot of stakeholders in a production—just like in business—that you need to balance.”

— Doreen Bloch
Poshly Inc.
@DoreenBloch

Yoga

“Slow down! I always achieve more when I chill out. I have always had trouble with the saying, “slow and steady wins the race.” Yoga slows me down and centers me, forcing and encouraging me to work more efficiently. Racing through a proposal will result in typos, making me look incompetent. Speeding through a client call will make me look like I don’t care.”

— Maren Hogan
Red Branch Media
@marenhogan

Soccer

“I love playing soccer. I think the game is all about strategy to win as well as skill and will to win. Those three factors—strategy, will and skill—will lead you to victory. The same three factors will lead you to build a successful business.”

— Pablo Palatnik
ShadesDaddy.com
@pablopalatnik

Jiu Jitsu

“I recently wrote a four-week blog series on how much Jiu Jitsu has taught me about business and life. Here are some lessons learned: Be humble, as you never know what your opponent has in terms of skill and leverage over you. Also, many times in business something pushes and we push back when we should pull. Remember to position yourself before you attack.”

— Matt Shoup
MattShoup.com
@MattShoup

Wood Working

“Wood working teaches you that attention to detail is what matters. Try making a piece of furniture that you’re proud of if you’ve not focused on measuring and re-measuring every cut. There’s only so much sand paper can do to cover up your blemishes. The same goes for business. Measure, then re-measure, and cut with confidence; the pain and cost of doing it over again is detrimental.”

— Tracey Wiedmeyer
InContext Solutions
@wiedmeyer

CrossFit

“Coaches push you to do something you never thought you could do, and other athletes encourage you to get in one more rep. Those same situations occur every day while growing my company. Every day I’m faced with new challenges to overcome, and I need that perseverance. And every day, my staff needs those extra words of encouragement to work a little harder.”

— Mark Krassner
Knee Walker Central
@MarkKrassner

Songwriting

“Songwriting has taught me to think more creatively and look for the best solution. Just like the first rhyme you think of may not be the strongest, the initial idea for solving a problem might not be the best. The patience, creativity and dedication to the craft necessary to write a song all mirror the skills it takes to run a business.”

— Brittany Hodak
ZinePak
@brittanyhodak

Digital Artistry

“I’ve been a digital artist for 15 years. I strongly believe that my experience in understanding and creating digital art has influenced my career as a software engineer and entrepreneur. I’ve always said that creating software is an art first and a science second. You’re trying to convey a message to an audience and paint a picture that can be understood. It involves trial and error and testing.”

— Gideon Kimbrell
InList Inc
@gideonkimbrell

SCUBA Diving

“Training to be a Dive Master taught me the value of communicating information clearly to a team prior to kicking off any project. A good Dive Master needs to assess the situation before the dive, knowing who may need close attention and who does not. Engaging with each diver allows you to get fair idea of their level of comfort, competence and set expectations for the dive.”

— Ryan Stoner
Publicis
@Stoneage

Sailing

“Similar to business, winning a competitive fleet race is often not about doing things right, but rather about making as few mistakes as possible. The best sailors minimize errors and are consistent on the race course. If you strive to be consistent and learn from your mistakes, you’re better off than most other entrepreneurs in the world.”

— Arian Radmand
CoachUp
@aradmand

Coaching Field Hockey

“I coached high school girls field hockey for three years, which taught me management skills I still use today. Leading a sports team draws on the same ability needed in a startup to draw out each individual’s strengths. I learned to place players in the positions where they would be most successful, to motivate them to perform their best and to be an occasional arbiter.”

— Abby Ross
ThinkCERCA
@abigailross49

Aviation

“When you fly, each person has to follow a checklist to ensure flight safety and avoid catastrophic mistakes. I apply a similar principle to our business to keep employees on task and prevent potential disasters.”

— Alfredo Atanacio
Uassist.ME
@aatanacio


About Our Partner

BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.

Find this article helpful?

This is just a small sample! Register to unlock our in-depth courses, hundreds of video courses, and a library of playbooks and articles to grow your startup fast. Let us Let us show you!

Submission confirms agreement to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Already a member? Login

No comments yet.

Register to join the discussion.

Already a member? Login

Create Free Account