Stoicism is often misunderstood in popular culture as the act of having no emotions or maintaining a stiff upper lip. In the context of building a business, it is actually a comprehensive operating system for decision making and emotional regulation.
At its core, Stoicism is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by logic and a specific view of the natural world. It teaches that the path to a well-lived life is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself.
It requires us to not allow ourselves to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or the fear of pain. For a founder, this is not about suppressing feelings. It is about preventing those feelings from dictating your strategy.
The Dichotomy of Control
#The most critical component of Stoic philosophy is the dichotomy of control. This principle divides the world into two distinct categories.
First, there are things you can control. These are your own actions, your judgments, and your character.
Second, there are things you cannot control. This includes everything else: the economy, competitor behavior, investor decisions, and market trends.
Most anxiety in the startup world stems from trying to force outcomes in the second category. You cannot force a customer to buy. You can only control the quality of the product and the clarity of your pitch. Stoicism argues that once you have done your best with the inputs, the output is largely out of your hands.
Stoicism vs. Result-Oriented Thinking
#It is helpful to compare Stoicism to modern Result-Oriented Thinking. In many corporate environments, the end result is the only metric of success. If you miss a revenue target, the effort is deemed a failure.
A Stoic approach differs significantly.
If a founder executes a strategy perfectly based on the best available data, but a global pandemic shuts down the market, Result-Oriented Thinking calls this a failure. Stoicism views the effort as a success because the founder acted with virtue and logic on the things they controlled.
This distinction is vital for longevity. Result-oriented founders often burn out when luck does not go their way. Stoic founders maintain their equilibrium regardless of the external chaos.
Application in Startup Scenarios
#There are specific moments where this framework provides clarity.
Fundraising: You can perfect your deck and your delivery. You cannot control the mood of the VC partner on Tuesday morning. A Stoic founder accepts the rejection without internalizing it as a flaw in their character.
Product Launches: You can test code and run QA. You cannot control a server outage at AWS. When the site goes down, a Stoic focuses immediately on the fix rather than the frustration.
Hiring and Firing: Employees will leave. A Stoic accepts that loyalty is external. They focus on creating a culture that encourages retention, rather than panicking when turnover happens.
The Unknowns of Detachment
#While this philosophy provides armor against stress, it raises questions we must grapple with.
Does a focus on acceptance reduce the manic drive often required to break through barriers? There is a risk that too much detachment could lead to passivity. We have to ask ourselves where the line is between accepting reality and fighting to change it.
Can you be truly Stoic and still possess the delusional optimism required to start a company? These are the tensions you will have to navigate as you apply these principles to your daily work.