Lessons From The Samurai: The Secret To Always Being At Your Best - Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Lessons From The Samurai: The Secret To Always Being At Your Best - Barking Up The Wrong Tree

Mind your mind; guard it resolutely. Since it is the mind that confuses the mind, don’t let your mind give in to your mind. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. One who is supposed to be a warrior considers it his foremost concern to keep death in mind at all times, every day and every night, from the morning of New Year’s Day through the night of New Year’s Eve.

Research shows training very hard and imagining the worst that could happen are two powerful techniques for promoting calm. Research shows that preparation reduces fear because when things get tense, you don’t have to think. Really thinking about just how awful things can be often has the ironic effect of making you realize they’re not that bad. Research shows the most powerful way to combat stress or anxiety — to stay calm — is to have a feeling of control. (note: Be calm and have a feeling of control.) “feeling of control” — it doesn’t even have to be legit control, just feeling like you do can work wonders.

What is Critical Mass? A Thought Experiment

Think of Critical Mass as a turning point in how a growing Network Effects platform functions. It’s a shift in gear from standard, linear growth to non-linear, exponential growth. Startup A is providing a platform for two groups within the market to interact and provide services for each other. Startup B is providing services to users that the company makes itself. For Startup B to expand, they must expand their ability to directly perform their service. Startup B’s resources are physical. This means their growth is limited by how thin their resources can be stretched to meet market demand. To increase their ability to meet demand, they must invest in more physical resources. (note: Supply-constrained marketplace)

In the very beginning, both startups need to focus only on getting eyeballs on their products. Both startups grow at roughly the same rate at this early stage, each picking up early adopters in their target markets. They grow at “Order n” or O(n). At this moment, the main difference between these two companies is how new resources they each bring to the table affect growth. Startup A’s scaling is attention intensive. Startup B’s scaling is resource intensive. For Startup B, this means they’re now growing at O(2n), or twice their starting rate. Startup A sees a boom in growth. On marketing efforts alone, they’re now growing at O(4n). But marketing isn’t their only tool for expansion.

Startup A can also leverage their software foundation and expand their product’s features to reach new sets of users that were previously uninterested. It’s important to note that we’re still growing linearly. Keep in mind that we still haven’t reached Startup A’s point of Critical Mass. And at these higher growth rates, Startup A starts to see a new phenomenon arise: the Network Effect. Soon, Startup A reaches a turning point, our point of Critical Mass.

Startup A’s user base begins to support the promotion on a new level. The brand begins to be known beyond the current user base, becoming synonymous with the service offered. Startup A’s growth now becomes exponential, O(n²). This non-linear growth is what fuels the disruption of entire industries. Outside of this thought experiment, it’s not a single startup fighting Startup A’s exponential growth, it’s an entire incumbent industry. Startup B’s weakness — its resource intensiveness — is a great strength in competition to a software startup if that software startup cannot reach Critical Mass.

Critical Mass is a crucial concept to keep in mind when sizing up systems built on Network Effects. The two concepts are tightly linked. If a Network Effects driven startup can manage to survive long enough to find their way to Critical Mass, they will be well on their way to developing a very powerful defense against competitors. Plenty of startups try to bring a Network Effects model to an existing industry and fail to generate any interest from users. This could be because the users aren’t flexible to new ideas, or because a startup didn’t approach the problem from the right angle.

Connections and Insights:

Both the lessons from the Samurai and the concept of Critical Mass have underlying themes of focus, preparation, and reaching a turning point.

In the Samurai lessons, the importance of guarding and training the mind is emphasized. By being determined yet calm, and by always keeping death in mind, one can promote a sense of control and stay calm in stressful situations.

Similarly, in the thought experiment of Critical Mass, startups need to focus on getting attention and resources to grow. Startup A leverages its software foundation and expands its product's features to reach new users, while Startup B's growth is limited by the availability of physical resources.

The concept of Critical Mass highlights the importance of reaching a turning point where exponential growth becomes possible. It is a crucial step for startups built on Network Effects to disrupt industries and defend against competitors.

Actionable Advice:

1. Prioritize mental training and preparation. Just like the Samurai, develop techniques to promote calm and control in stressful situations. Train your mind to stay focused and remain unbiased. Visualize worst-case scenarios to realize that they are often not as bad as they seem.

2. Focus on building attention and resources. In the early stages of your startup, prioritize getting eyeballs on your products or services. Leverage your existing foundations and expand your offerings to reach new sets of users. Be aware of the limitations of resource-intensive growth and find creative ways to overcome them.

3. Strive to reach Critical Mass. Understand the importance of reaching a turning point where exponential growth becomes possible. Continuously work towards expanding your user base and becoming synonymous with the service you offer. Keep in mind that critical mass is a powerful defense against competitors and can lead to disrupting entire industries.

Conclusion:

Lessons from the Samurai and the concept of Critical Mass highlight the importance of focus, preparation, and reaching a turning point. By training the mind and staying calm, individuals can promote a sense of control in stressful situations. Similarly, startups need to focus on building attention and resources to reach a point of Critical Mass, where exponential growth becomes possible. By incorporating these lessons and strategies, individuals and startups can strive to always be at their best and achieve remarkable success.