I am a sword and board entrepreneur.
And that is nothing to be ashamed of.
In the war that is entrepreneurship, there are many types of heroes.
The power mages who change the world with spells that most mere mortals would never dare try. Many of these are destroyed by their own spells, but the few who succeed become legends doing what most people considered impossible. Archmages like Steve Jobs and Henry Ford changed the world.
There are the powerful warriors who inspire people to give them resources and armies and convince people to follow them into battle for their cause. Those who follow this path can leave destruction in their wake, but their impact is undeniable. Great warriors like Elon Musk and Rob Iger have led vast hordes to advance their causes.
There are, sadly, even heroes with less virtue… the rogues… who achieve success by cheating, stealing, and lying. These people have no morals and will use people and resources in any way necessary to reach their goals.
I am sadly… or luckily… not any of those kinds of entrepreneurs.
I am a sword and board entrepreneur. I am the type who goes into battle with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.
This kind of entrepreneurship is generally not sexy.
You won’t go into battle hurling epic spells at your enemy. You won’t be backed up by troops willing to die for your cause.
Most days, you’re on your own. On lucky days, you are part of a small party of like-minded people.
You can take a beating. Your shield absorbs most of it, but at the end of most battles, your shield arm is still in agonizing pain, and you can barely lift it.
When you swing your sword with your other hand, you can defeat your enemy with skill, dedication, and a bit of luck… but you don’t take down challengers effortlessly.
At the end of the battle, there is usually no big feast or accolades in your honor. You usually go back to your tent, fix the dents in your shield, sharpen your sword dulled by the day’s challenges… then you wake up and do it all again.
For a long, long, long time, that is your reward.
But sometimes, if you are lucky, you do something that gets you noticed.
You get more reward than the day before. You are able to buy a better sword or a better shield.
Sometimes, as you walk into the tavern after a battle, someone buys you a drink and says thank you.
Those are good days. Those are the days you remember why you are out there.
I am a sword and board entrepreneur.
It is not glamorous, but some days…
Today…
It is enough.
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