FTW

I often use the acronym FTW when telling my startup stories. It stands for “F*ck the World” or “For the Win” and I use these two meanings interchangeably depending on my mood. My startup stories start with a seemingly impossible problem, followed by a hero’s quest to find a miraculous solution, and a FTW at the end.

“There wasn’t enough time” is a thematic problem in many startup stories. The solution is always the same: invent time. Inventing time means creating miracles.

A miracle is defined as a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws. When founders do the impossible, it feels like a miracle. Those of us who do the impossible for a living know that it takes a combination of belief, creativity, hard work, and luck. We also know miracles make for great stories.

One version of the startup story is:

• There wasn’t enough time.
• They said it was impossible, but we showed them.
• They said the plan wouldn’t work, but we showed them.
• In the end we won, despite everyone else doubting us.
• F*ck the World

While parts of that version of the story are true, the tone is a distortion.

A different version of the same startup story is:

• There wasn’t enough time.
• We felt defeated, yet we never stopped believing.
• We got creative, worked hard, and did things that increased our chances for success.
• In the end we won because we got lucky and were prepared.
• Our team For the Win!

The problem and the solution are the same in each version, but the path to the desired result is the story we choose. The first FTW story is exhausting, especially on repeat. The second FTW story is energizing, resilient, and makes for a life well lived together. Perhaps by choosing the better story, we can invent more time and create even more miracles.

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