On Startups and the Beauty of Imperfection
There’s a concept called Ikigai that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Ikigai (生き甲斐).
Ikigai literally translates to “reason to live”. The term“iki” refers to the concept of life or being alive, while “gai,” can be translated as worthiness, fruitfulness, or effectiveness.
“kai” carries a strong connotation of challenge. Pursuing it requires a significant amount of effort and determination.
Ikigai is similar to the French term “raison d’etre” or “reason for being.” It’s the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment that follows when people pursue their passions.
The concept of ikigai as a purpose in life with both personal and social dimensions is captured by the ikigai diagram. This diagram includes overlapping spheres covering four categories
“what you love”
“what the world needs”
“what you can be paid for”
“what you are good at”
I think everyone who chooses to work at a startup has a strong Ikigai, whatever that may be. It’s incredibly hard to try to create something new, to get people on board with it, and to push forward every single day.
There’s something
And no, CHATGPT did not write this. :)
