"Attrition is a group statistic. It doesn't apply to me."

Re:"Attrition is a group statistic. It doesn't apply to me." by RyanZAG on Friday March 29, 2013 @03:12PM (#5462467)

Of course - it's also a function of who you know, your timing, and a huge number of additional factors. It probably has a lot to do with 'rare and special quantities of individuals' as well. The difference is that if you can run 50 miles without breaking a sweat and do pull ups using only your pinky, it's pretty clear that you will make it in the special forces baring a freak accident.

However, you could have just created a successful startup. You could create an incredible product. You can still fail if Google launches a competing product at the same time before yours can gain traction. You can still fail if someone else comes out with a better and cheaper way to do what you're doing. You can still fail if a key part of your marketing fails you for reasons out of your control (Facebook blocking access to their API).

It's simply a function of the amount of chaos. Nobody can tell you if your startup will succeed or fail. I'm very sure that a special forces instructor will be able to tell if you'll make it after just a few minutes of watching you perform.

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Re:"Attrition is a group statistic. It doesn't apply to me." by dgreensp on Friday March 29, 2013 @06:20PM (#5463344)

All start-ups face unforeseen setbacks and unlucky turns of events outside the founder's control. They are a constant. It's all in how you respond.

So yes, there's a high degree of chaos. This means to succeed you must be all the more resourceful and dogged and/or experienced. Maybe these things are harder to quantify than predictors of success in the special forces. I don't know anything about the special forces. The wording used above just strikes me as true for start-ups rather than being a contrast.

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Re:"Attrition is a group statistic. It doesn't apply to me." by benevpayor on Friday March 29, 2013 @05:14PM (#5463073)

"The difference is that if you can run 50 miles without breaking a sweat and do pull ups using only your pinky, it's pretty clear that you will make it in the special forces baring a freak accident."

Leadership and team-building abilities are a significant success factor due to peer evaluations. You could be a 0.1%'er in physical ability and still get peered out because no one trusts you or wants you in their squad. Like a startup, your ability to build relationships is key to success.

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