Are You Lucky?

"The most important feature of my life - I would be both ungrateful and untruthful if I failed to acknowledge it immediately - has been my good luck; and I must also acknowledge my debt to the fortunetellers who have predicted it." - Christian Dior

On our final day in Paris, after an extraordinary journey through Portugal, London, and France, I found myself standing in the Christian Dior exhibit at La Galerie Dior. As I read this quote displayed prominently on the museum wall, something clicked. Here was one of fashion's greatest visionaries having the intellectual honesty to acknowledge that luck played a central role in his success.

The timing felt perfect. My heart was already full with gratitude for the incredible experiences I'd just had across three countries, each day seemingly more remarkable than the last. Dior's words crystallized a realization that had been building throughout my travels: perhaps the most successful entrepreneurs aren't just those who work hardest, but those who cultivate the conditions in which good fortune is most likely to visit.

What Goes Around Comes Around

I've seen it happen countless times. The entrepreneur who helps others succeed, who makes introductions without expecting anything back, who treats everyone with respect regardless of their status. Five years later, they're the ones getting the best deals, the strongest teams, the most valuable connections.

This thinking becomes so ingrained that it permeates even casual moments. When a friend texts about a delayed flight or missed connection, I find myself jokingly asking, "What did you do wrong to the universe?" It's said with love and laughter, but underneath lies a genuine belief that our energy and actions somehow influence the flow of events around us.

The venture capital ecosystem runs on this principle. Those who help others succeed, who make introductions without expecting immediate returns, who treat entrepreneurs with respect regardless of deal outcomes, build reputations that attract the best opportunities. It's not mystical. It's practical. Good people want to work with good people.

The Power of Believing Before Seeing

There's something almost magical about entrepreneurs who can visualize their success before it happens. Not the delusional kind who ignore reality, but those who hold a clear picture of where they're heading while working relentlessly to get there.

I've watched founders who could describe their company's future with such vivid detail that you'd swear they were recounting memories rather than dreams. They knew exactly what their office would look like, how their team would operate, what their customers would say. This wasn't wishful thinking - it was blueprinting.

The difference between fantasy and manifestation isn't the dreaming. It's the daily grind that follows. Every visualization session gets paired with concrete action. Every bold prediction gets backed by strategic planning. Dreams without action are just wishes. Dreams with relentless execution become inevitable.

Stop Complaining. Start Solving.

I've noticed something about successful entrepreneurs: they don't complain. They just don't. While others moan about market conditions, regulatory hurdles, or difficult customers, the best founders are busy figuring out how to win anyway.

Complaining is a luxury startups can't afford. It wastes time, kills momentum, and turns your team into a group therapy session. Worse, it becomes addictive. The more you complain, the more problems you'll find to complain about.

The rule is simple: if you bring up a problem, bring up a solution. "This market is impossible" becomes "What approach might work where others have failed?" "We can't compete with their budget" becomes "What advantages do we have that money can't buy?"

This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending problems don't exist. It's about channeling frustration into action. The companies that thrive are the ones that treat every obstacle as a puzzle to solve rather than a reason to quit.

Why Optimists Win

Here's what I've learned watching hundreds of entrepreneurs: the optimistic ones simply perform better. They think bigger, recover faster, and attract better people.

Optimistic founders don't just see problems. They see possibilities. While pessimists get stuck analyzing why something won't work, optimists are busy figuring out how to make it work. This isn't about being naive. It's about being useful.

The recovery time tells the whole story. When a deal falls through or a product launch flops, pessimistic entrepreneurs spiral. They hold post-mortems that turn into group therapy sessions. Optimistic entrepreneurs? They're already planning the next move.

But here's the real advantage: people want to work for optimists. Talent gravitates toward leaders who make them feel energized rather than exhausted. Investors back founders who radiate confidence rather than doubt. Customers buy from companies that feel like they're going somewhere exciting.

Optimism isn't just a mindset. It's a competitive advantage.

The Luck You Earn

Standing in that Paris museum, I realized something. Christian Dior's acknowledgment wasn't false modesty. It was calculated honesty. The most successful entrepreneurs understand that while they cannot control outcomes, they can stack the deck in their favor.

Karma, manifestation, optimism. Different words for the same truth: what you put out comes back, especially when paired with action.

In startup competition, this might be the ultimate competitive advantage. The ability to create conditions where good fortune feels less like random chance and more like earned reward.

The entrepreneurs who master this know something powerful. Every generous introduction plants a seed. Every problem met with optimism opens a door. Every day spent lifting others up creates momentum that compounds over time.

Christian Dior knew this truth. Standing in that gallery, surrounded by the legacy of a man who transformed fashion through vision and acknowledged good fortune, the lesson hit me.

I don't just make my own luck. I make myself worthy of it.