This is What Separates Survivors from Strugglers in Business

Howdy! In today’s blog, I want to talk about something that doesn’t get enough credit in the world of startups: resilience.

It’s nothing flashy, and it’s definitely not going to show up in your pitch deck, but if you’re building something from scratch, I’d argue it’s one of the most important assets you’ve got.

Because here’s the hard truth:
You don’t need to be the smartest, most funded, or most innovative founder in the room to succeed. But you do need to be the one who gets back up, over and over again. 

Most Startups Don’t Fail Because of Strategy—They Fail Because of Stamina

Over the years, I’ve seen some very brilliant founders, with great products and killer plans walk away the moment things got too hard. From their first bad quarter, first rejection from a potential investor, or the first customer churned—they took these things as signs to fold.

On the flip side of this, I’ve seen scrappy, underestimated teams outlast everyone, and not because they necessarily had a better idea, but because they kept going when others wouldn’t.

Resilience is what turns a “bad month” into a lesson to learn from, rather than a debilitating failure.
Resilience is what gets you to your next version, your next hire, or your next opportunity.

What Resilience Looks Like in Business:

• Showing up even when the wins are small (or maybe even nonexistent)
• Reworking your plan instead of giving up on it
• Enduring slow seasons without panicking or pivoting too fast
• Having hard conversations with both your team and yourself
• Pushing through the boring, unglamorous grind

This is not about toughing it out—this is about staying clear-headed, resourceful, and consistent if things don’t end up going your way. 

Resilience Isn’t Just a Trait, It’s a Culture

As a founder, your team is watching how you respond to setbacks. If you crumble, they’ll follow suit. On the other hand, if you decide to meet pressure with clarity and a sense of calm, it will become contagious.

When you build a resilient culture, your team doesn’t just survive hard seasons, they grow through them.

Important Question to Ask Yourself This Week:

When was the last time you felt like quitting… but didn’t?
What kept you going—and how can you build more of that into your business?