"Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on."
Samuel Butler
Breaking news. You heard it here first! Unskilled violinists don't receive much applause. And off-target products and services don't sell.
So, what happens to the aspiring violinist who cannot move his audience? What happens to the entrepreneur whose first product flops?
My son is a musician. His career choice has exposed me to all sorts of people and situations that would have otherwise been forever hidden from me. A few years ago, we were visiting a college as part of the audition tour required of every music major. During such visits the aspiring performer is interviewed and then demonstrates his skill for the professors who will be charged with transforming him into a reliable applause generator. The parents wait in the hall.
The halls of these music institutes are festooned with all sorts of flashy concert posters and album ads, of course. But they are also home to a wealth of inspirational materials. Here is a keeper.
"Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong."
Wannabee entrepreneurs (and musicians) try only until they hit the first serious obstacle. Then they lose, precisely because they believe they are losing.
Winners keep at it until they succeed. They win because they understand that they are not losing, but that they are learning.
For a scientist, an experiment that does not confirm the hypothesis is not a failure. It is a useful stepping stone to a fresh hypothesis. For a musician, a bad review provides clarity on how the performance can be improved. For an entrepreneur, a rejected product is a clear message about the true needs of the marketplace.
Product acceptance is disappointing? You have two choices. Declare defeat and go find a job. Or address the current biggest complaint and try again. Then repeat the cycle as long as your Moxie holds out.
Ultimately, you will learn so much about your Market that you can't get it wrong. You will have mastered your Magic.
By the way, the musicians and the scientists all have Mentors. They are built into the system. I'm just saying...
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