The Dangerous Story Founders Tell Themselves About Success
By Cheryl Powers
Most business owners explain success through effort. The real story is often far more complicated and far more useful.
Timing is one of the most powerful forces in business and one of the least acknowledged.
Not simply because founders often don't see it. But because acknowledging it threatens the story you most want to believe about yourself. Success feels better when it appears fully earned. It reinforces the idea that outcomes were the direct result of intelligence, discip...
Luck Did More of the Work Than You Want to Admit
By Cheryl Powers
Founders who explain success through grit alone usually miss what actually built the business and what may be quietly limiting its value now.
Hard work matters. But timing, structure, readiness, and founder dependence shape business outcomes far more than most owners want to admit, especially when it’s time to scale, transfer, or sell.
A founder sits across from me, proud, tired, and faintly irritated.
On paper, he’s done everything right. He built the company from almost no...
