What do extreme sports have to do with entrepreneurial success? A great deal actually, as history reveals much about this unlikely connection. As far back as 3,500 BC, extreme athletes engaged in extraordinary feats of performance that were linked directly to the world of commerce. A few examples are ancient Roman “Keles” chariot racing, the masterful sport of “Cuju” football in China, the medieval “Hastilude” jousting matches of England, and even what appears to be Egyptian “Kite Boarding” on the River Nile. (Notice the Royal surfer standing atop a board and clutching the tail of a flying bird in the image below.)
All these extreme sports had one thing in common, they challenged athletes to press beyond their ordinary limits and into extraordinary feats of performance. In terms of business success, it’s difficult to argue with the notion that if one wants to achieve extraordinary results he or she must perform with extreme conviction. The sports champions of antiquity embraced this philosophy and were handsomely rewarded for it. In every ancient civilization, victorious athletes were granted appointments of nobility, military commands and lucrative equity positions with enterprising businesses of the day. Things are not all that different today.
Enter modern day business incubators and accelerators such as 500 Startups, Alchemist, Y Combinator and XTC Extreme Tech Challenge to just mention a few. While employing diverse approaches, they all focus on creating an extreme championship ethos. XTC, the brainchild of Sir Richard Branson, Bill Tai and Susie Mai of MaiTai Global, is a good example of linking extreme sports with entrepreneurial success. Much like other world-class accelerators, XTC provides founders with business mentoring, funding, networking and technology resources that help reduce the friction encountered by entering the global marketplace—but with the added twist of including kite boarding as a way to accelerate championship performance.
Allow me to give you an inside glimpse into the XTC ethos. One of the competition judges and himself an extreme sports enthusiast, James Lindenbaum, speaks about the kite boarding connection this way. “Kiting is a high barrier sport in that it's technically demanding. There's a huge overlap between board kiting and entrepreneurship kiting. Success hinges on entrepreneurs being passionate, persistent, resilient, and taking calculated risks.”
Veronica Serra, another XTC judge and VC funding partner, emphasizes the point about resilience. “We look for entrepreneurs who have the energy to pull a boat through the desert because that's what it takes to build a successful business.”
All the accelerator groups I know agree that extreme passion, persistence and resilience are vital character traits that all start-ups need in order to succeed in today’s extremely competitive marketplace.
Bas Beerens, CEO and Founder of WeTransfer has a slightly different opinion about extreme sports, yet is in agreement about the character traits mentioned. “Kiting, like snowboarding, requires focus, a “Zen-like” practice that takes your mind off work, but supports work being done in a relaxing way which you can’t achieve in the office. But extreme sports can also be dangerous. Most founders I know have obligations to family, investors, and employees and taking such risks may not be worth the accelerated performance.”
Beerens’ way of participating in the extreme sport of kiting is to not “ride the wind” but to produce a feature movie about those enthusiasts who do, including Sir Richard Branson. If you’re part of a start-up organization, are a sports enthusiast, or simply an armchair extreme athlete, check out the movie trailer and world premiere of “Chapter One: The Kiteboard Legacy Begins.”
The final glimpse into the ethos of today’s world-class accelerators is the trend Beernes highlights about gaining business and personal performance insights from outside the office. Whether kite surfing, snowboarding, or bonding with business associates through acts of community service, being human rather than high-strung, caring rather than calloused, and even integrating spiritual principles and practices into their start-up cultures are trending with today’s young emerging entrepreneurs.
Bill Tai, of MaiTai Global (an accomplished kite boarder himself) elaborates further on this important humanistic trend. “There are hundreds of venture capital firms out there pitching entrepreneurs. It’s not just about the money, it's about the web of relationships and bond of community that goes deep, a natural connection that’s almost spiritual.”
Part of my contribution to XTC’s unique ethos, as well as other accelerators I work with is bringing awareness to what I call “Deal Flow and Spirit Flow.” “Deal Flow” pertains to all the aspects of engaging in superlative business practices that lead to positive ROI. “Spirit Flow” pertains to all the aspects of superlative personal character that lead to positive ROF, (Return of Fulfillment). The distinction between these two returns is essential. Those who focus only on financial return without attending to life fulfillment fall into the trap Steve Jobs spoke to just prior to his death. “In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – “Life.”
Integrating Deal Flow and Spirit Flow into our next wave of incubators and accelerators I believe is the next “gust of wind to catch.” No one conveys this point better than Sir Richard Branson himself.
At a recent XTC competition, just after a morning of kiting, Sir Richard made this comment to a group of founders gathered on his private island. “You just go where the wind wants to take you.” Now if that doesn’t make the point about “Deal Flow and Spirit Flow” I don’t know what does. ~
Val Jon Farris is the CEO of Diamius Multinational, an international leadership development firm. His diverse area of expertise ranges from championing large-scale workforce initiatives to mentoring entrepreneurs, including some of the world’s most promising start-up companies. Feel free to email him at valjon@diamius.com.