The Jiu-Jitsu of Entrepreneurship: The Art of Tapping, Reflecting, and Refining
The Great Mat of Life
Entrepreneurship isn't just a venture; it's an odyssey, the single largest vector that has sculpted me into the person I am today. At first glance, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and startup culture may seem worlds apart, yet the synergies are striking. And before you write this off as another trite analogy, consider this: Both crafts require you to surrender ego at the door, embrace the constant ebb and flow of failure and triumph, and remain eternally a student of the game.
As Renzo Gracie said, “my ego is my enemy and my opponent is my teacher”. My best friend and roommate, David Axell, plays the role of “enemy” (training partner) most days in our home dojo we built ourselves. He is much better than I am (he has been training for 4 years to my 1) and thus I have “won” a round exactly once (whereas he has won thousands). In entrepreneurship, too, we need alliesmore than ever. We need the data, the team, the stakeholders — but above all, we need humility. Here's a fusion of hard lessons, from the startup office to the Jiu-Jitsu mat.
Scaling Heights and Facing Heaviness
You'd think that the better you get at something, the lighter the load becomes. But the reality is quite the opposite. As we grow—whether in a startup or in a martial art—so do the complexities and responsibilities. The stakes escalate. There are more details to remember, more decisions that carry significant weight, and hence, further to fall. Each new skill learned or milestone achieved adds another pound to the barbell of expectations. But if you've done BJJ, you'll know that pressure can be a beautiful thing. It can stabilize you or topple you, depending on how well you harness it.
The Eternal White Belt
There's something infinitely refreshing about being a white belt again in Jiu-Jitsu. I walked into that dojo with a CEO's mentality but left every session as a student of life. Just like the initial days of my entrepreneurial journey, I was expected to lose and learn, constantly. And oh, how liberating that felt! In the world of startups, we forget how exhilarating it is to be a novice at something, where mistakes are considered the freckles of learning rather than career-blotting blemishes.
The Lean Start-Up Meets BJJ
If Eric Ries' "The Lean Start-Up" were a martial art, it would be Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Both preach the cyclical continuum of generating output, gathering data, and forming a thesis. The faster you complete this loop—without ego clogging your judgment—the quicker you learn and adapt. Whether it's a tap on the mat or a failed project, both are invaluable sources of information, each showing you where the cracks are, where there's room to grow. Stagnation in this cycle, at any point, is akin to stepping off the mat for good. And as any entrepreneur or BJJ practitioner will tell you, the only way to truly lose is to leave the mat.
Sweat, Bond, and Reflect
Jiu-Jitsu is not just about martial prowess. It has provided me with a community—a place to sweat out the day’s stress, form deeper bonds with existing friends, and meet others who share similar life philosophies. As Albert Camus wisely noted, “I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain.” Indeed, life's meaning resides in the struggle itself—the rocks we push uphill, the taps we endure, and the tasks that lie before us.
Towards a New Existentialism
In an age where Sigmund Freud's pursuit of pleasure seems to dominate our cultural ethos, there's a desperate need to channel the existential wisdom of Viktor Frankl. The quest for purpose, or "logos," should not be a footnote in our lives; it should be the main text. In both entrepreneurship and BJJ, the journey is all there is. The pleasure or the pain it brings is but a fleeting moment, yet the purpose it instills lasts a lifetime.
Entrepreneurship rocked me to my core, and Jiu-Jitsu realigned it. In grappling and in business, there are moments when we're close to tapping out for good, allowing the gravity of failure to pin us to the ground. But every time I've tapped, I've gotten back up, refined my approach, and re-entered the mat of the startup world or the dojo, ready for another go. And that, my friends, is the essence of both crafts: tap, reflect, refine, and keep tapping. Always be ready to push another boulder, for that is where meaning lies.
Ready for another round on the mat or in the boardroom? I always am. If you’d like to connect, chat, or spar, feel free to reach out at jamesgriffincole@gmail.com. Until then, keep tapping.