The Entrepreneurial Myth: Why We Expect Mastery Without Rehearsal
We’ve all heard it: Practice makes perfect.
As children, this was our North Star. We weren’t expected to nail the sonata or the three-pointer on the first try. We understood that repetition wasn't just about muscle memory; it was about desensitization. We practiced until the frustration of failure felt like a boring, familiar neighbor rather than a reason to quit.
Yet, the moment we become entrepreneurs, we abandon this logic.
We expect to navigate boardrooms, cash-flow crises, and public scrutiny with surgical precision. When we feel the cold spike of anxiety or the weight of responsibility, we mistake that discomfort for incompetence.
Experience is Just "Emotional Memory"
When we call a founder "seasoned," we aren't usually complimenting their IQ. We are acknowledging their exposure. A seasoned entrepreneur has already survived:
The gut-punch of a failed launch.
The isolation of a decision that can’t be crowdsourced.
The "death valley" of a dry bank account.
What looks like bravery is actually recognition. Their nervous system has seen this movie before, so it doesn't trigger the "flight" response. Familiarity breeds steadiness.
The Missing Skill: Emotional Rehearsal
In business, we over-prepare for the tactical and under-prepare for the visceral. We rehearse the pitch deck, but we don't rehearse the shame of being rejected.
This is where "Emotional Rehearsal" changes the game. As neuroscientist Joe Dispenza suggests, the brain struggles to distinguish a vividly imagined experience from a real one. If you’ve mentally "lived through" a crisis, your body won't treat the real event as a mortal threat.
Lessons from the Vertical Wall
Think of climber Alex Honnold. Before he touches the stone, he rehearses the burn:
How his breath will shorten.
Exactly where his mind will scream "quit."
The specific texture of fear at 1,000 feet.
By the time he’s on the wall, the pain isn't a surprise—it's a landmark. He isn't fearless; he is prepared.
How to Normalize the Discomfort
Your nervous system is designed to protect you from the new, not necessarily the dangerous. To lead effectively, you must turn the "new" into the "known" before the stakes are real.
| The Rehearsal | The Desired Outcome |
| Visualize Failure | Learn to sit with disappointment without spiraling into a "story." |
| Practice Being Misunderstood | Get comfortable with people being wrong about you without needing to "fix" it. |
| Weight of the Win | Prepare for the scrutiny and pressure that come with success. |
| Label the Sensation | Move from "I am dying" to "This is just the adrenaline of a growth phase." |
Confidence is Recognition
Real confidence isn't a loud ego; it’s a quiet internal dialogue: “I know this feeling. I’ve been here before. I don’t need to escape.”
The founders who survive aren't the ones who avoided the fire. They are the ones who practiced standing in the heat until they stopped smelling smoke. Practice doesn't make things painless—it makes them familiar. And in the chaos of a startup, familiarity is the bridge between panic and leadership.