Mistakes Startups Shouldn’t Make

I’ve always enjoyed Paul Graham’s essays, and his latest is no exception. It’s called “The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups”. I particularly like #3:

If you watch little kids playing sports, you notice that below a certain age they’re afraid of the ball. When the ball comes near them their instinct is to avoid it. I didn’t make a lot of catches as an eight year old outfielder, because whenever a fly ball came my way, I used to close my eyes and hold my glove up more for protection than in the hope of catching it.

Speaking as a childhood ball-avoider, that’s a very apt metaphor. I’ve come around to, you know, embrace the sporty projectiles, but I know of what he speaks.