There’s the famous story of Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king who, after losing six battles, hid in a cave and watched a spider fail again and again—until it succeeded. And there’s the Japanese proverb, ‘Nana korobi ya oki,’ which means, ‘Fall down seven times, get up eight.’
I can confidently say that I am that person who will try repeatedly. Perhaps that's why entrepreneurship doesn't scare me. Most people fear failure. I’ve learned to see it as a source of energy. Every setback sharpens my clarity and fuels my resolve. Deep down, I share Churchill’s belief that success means going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
My professional life, even before I became an entrepreneur, has taught me that when I am working towards a goal, failure energizes me. The challenge is dealing with everyone around you.
By the third or fourth attempt that ends in failure, society at large will start seeing you as a failure. Your closest people might support you through the fifth or sixth failure, but then they also start hoping that you won't try again. Often, they believe they’re protecting you by suggesting it’s time to stop.
That is when the going gets really tough. You not only have to keep doing the work, but also choose how to spend your limited energy—resting and recovering, or convincing loved ones that you still need to try. In my case, each failure brought me closer to my goal because I learned something valuable from it. Most don't understand that you’d rather give it your all and fail—spectacularly, even—than give up while you still have the fire in you to keep going.
The world sees you as a failure because you have failed so many times, whereas you know you will be a failure if you don't try again.