Starting Up with the Power of Vulnerability

We’re born free and uninhibited – we cry to express discomfort or hunger or sleep. Children are known to speak their minds, without the fear of judgment or that of validation. We don’t think twice before learning to express since it’s how humans are wired at the outset.

The societal and parental conditioning we undergo, sets the boundaries which not only teach us norms to abide by but also take away something we were born with – vulnerability.

Having worked closely with multiple founders, I’ve found a common thread among all successful entrepreneurs – facing vulnerability and learning how to create their own identity and carry their own weight. They do so elegantly despite being part of a community that greatly publicizes not only your successes, but also your failures, a community that collectively decides trends and wipes them off as new ones emerge. I often thought of this trait as courage but credit to Brene Brown for teaching me how courage is derived from a root feeling of vulnerability. It takes bravado to be vulnerable to step into the darkness of risk and uncertainty in a place where elevator pitches end as quickly as the remaining 15% battery on your phone.

Over the course of my work, I’ve felt inspired by some traits and choices made by some founders as I work with them through their journey of fundraising:

1. Learning (when) to say no: The best founders don’t just make good choices, but also avoid bad ones. They embrace the course to decline potential opportunities while facing complete uncertainty about the incremental benefit that may have arisen if they made a different choice. The early days of a startup entail multiple voices of wisdom, making some long ranging decisions without adequate information of the market potential or even visibility of the next few months in terms of capital, growth and people to support operations.

2. Making sacrifices: Limited capital (the perennial problem unless there’s a breather of a round) often leads to hard choices. A business plan does not simply involve strategies around distribution, marketing, hiring or operations but factors in a key component of timing. Prioritization and correct sequencing of metrics to be achieved and more importantly, the methodology to achieve them involve critical thinking and risk taking (often leading to a make or break by the naysayers even before the projections play out). FOMO, of course, is a large contributor to the external noise of what the competition, or rather, how the competition is doing it. It takes vulnerability to stand by your choices as the fortune of your startup and it’s peers unfolds and the winning title handed over.

3. Owning up: The most resilient founders face the music and own up to mistakes – towards their teams, investors or their clients. They’re accepting of the emotional turmoil that comes from such admittance and do not let it turn into shame and thereby, the pitfalls of using an armor to feel safer - whether that is in the form of defensiveness or unwarranted aggression.

4. Being prepared: The best offence is indeed a good defense. I have often observed extreme preparedness to the fullest extent among good founders vis-à-vis all that they do know and control. They’re often the ones who are well versed with their financials, operational & business metrics, in-depth understanding about roles that they may not be heading ( e.g. – a business founder knowing about the tech stack and answering questions with ease) or even the subtle nuances that differentiate their business from every possible competitor in the world. However, with such preparedness also comes the humility to say “I don’t know the answer” when fortunetelling (and not guesstimates & research) comes into play. They work hard and harbour a similar culture in their organizations to always be one step ahead.

5. Learning to Trust & Delegate: Vulnerability often breeds security. It gives founders the courage to trust and thereby, delegate tasks to build well structured organizations which are scalable and sustainable. Practicing vulnerability also makes connection much easier for such founders. Excessive control in a high risk and fast changing ecosystem such as this often leads to a slow death.

6. Expression: I’ve also realized the importance of uninhibited expression to voice the integrity and vision of founders and their startups. Such founders never shy away from expressing their thoughts but they have also trained themselves well to articulate the point correctly. They balance freedom of expression with the knowledge of a desired outcome. The freedom to do so largely comes from owing their own story and standing by it. One can only do so when they’re truly passionate about what they’re building. And to be building something so passionately involves, risk and thereby, being vulnerable to the exposure of failure. They’re wise enough to understand that it isn’t just about the time or the capital, but the accountability that comes with every courageous decision. The measuring cup isn’t always used for the words they choose but for the neatly defined goals they’re trying to achieve.

7. Not knowing it all: These founders never use the shield of Mr./Ms. know-it-all. They hire people better than themselves for functional expertise, they take investors on board not just for capital but the capabilities that they bring onboard, they hire advisors to supplement efforts where value addition is required and appreciated. Such acceptance comes from an innate willingness to grow and to take risks. It comes from a deeper place of security which comes from trusting their own selves yet being brave enough to open up to new possibilities.

Learning to be afraid and brave at the same time is an art that is essential for entrepreneurship. Viewing one’s own vulnerability as bravery and not a weakness truly differentiates the winners from the pool and enables them to make meaningful connections.