Sport, the school of entrepreneurship
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This weekend, we gathered the skater and ex-skater entrepreneur community in Paris for a session of pure fun, and it made us realize all the crazy similarities between being a skater and an entrepreneur. But honestly, I think this could apply to a lot of sports. So let’s dive in!
Risk-taking: This one’s obvious, but skateboarding is all about choosing, every day, to risk getting hurt – without dwelling on it or letting fear paralyze you. You push past the fear. Just like dropping everything to start your business is about leaving your comfort zone for life’s big adventure.
Time management: Skateboarding is all about timing: popping, flicking, spinning… at the perfect moment. Same with business, it’s about being at the right place at the right time, having the right product or saying the right thing at just the right moment. Success in both comes down to knowing when to strike.
Stress: Stress in skating is like landing a kickflip – it fuels your precision. It’s everywhere, but it drives you, not stops you. In business, if stress or emotions take over, mistakes are guaranteed, and the fall can be brutal.
Perseverance: Nothing happens by magic. You have to try and try again. You don’t land a flip on the first go, and it’s the same in business. You try, fail, and try again – persistence is key. Each failure is just a step closer to mastering the trick or the market.
Suffering: Alright, I got called out for saying this before, but I truly believe being a good entrepreneur, like a good skater, means loving the pain – having an internal drive that pushes you forward. You fall every day, you get back up every day, and you never stop. Some go for technique, but the best prioritize speed with technique, even if that means crashing harder. Pain isn’t just part of it – it’s the fuel.
Tenacity: Pain and tenacity go hand in hand! You never give up! You try and try again, adjust, pivot… until it works. You never let go! There’s a fire in your heart, in your gut, that pushes you to go harder, further. You don’t quit – ever.
Chasing happiness: The joy of a perfect trick, the satisfaction of sticking with it, the thrill of the journey… In both business and skating, it’s about the adventure before the win. That’s what makes us happy and drives us forward – the pursuit of that next, perfect moment.
Playing with the rules: Like Xavier Niel says, “Find the grey area and surf it.” Whether it’s skating or business, you have to know the rules, then play with them without going too far. We build ramps under bridges, skate in front of banks, on public monuments… just like in business, we use loopholes to create market opportunities. You create something where no one saw potential before.
Learning: You never know everything, and you’re never done learning. Every day when you try a trick in skating, you don’t know how to do it, but you try, learn, and one day you land it. Then you figure out how and why and repeat it again and again – until you can do it in a competition. Same in business: find something that works, and then do it over and over. Stay curious, stay humble, and keep pushing your limits.
Self-confidence: You have to know your worth and believe in your abilities while staying open to self-reflection. When you hit a 20-step gap, you can’t afford to doubt yourself, or you’ll end up with a busted knee or ankle. In business, doubting yourself means getting played, making bad decisions, and falling flat. Confidence, paired with humility, is the secret sauce.
Creativity: What makes you great and fulfilled is inventing, discovering. I don’t just see stairs – I see a gap. I don’t just see a rail – I see a grind. In both skating and business, you need to break out of conventional thinking, think for yourself, and go after what no one else is seeing or doing. The real winners are the ones who see opportunity where others only see barriers.
Community spirit: In business, you’re at your best when you surround yourself with the right people, collaborate, and create synergies. In skating, you learn from others, you support each other, you’re always there for your fellow skaters. You teach the younger ones a trick, you cheer on your peers – you grow together. Success is better when shared, whether it’s landing a trick or closing a deal.
I’m deeply convinced that skating – and, more broadly, demanding sports – is the best school for entrepreneurship. Both require a mindset, a worldview, and a life philosophy that are strikingly similar. Fall hard, get up faster, and chase the thrill of creating something no one else sees.
On that note, have an amazing week!
→ If you enjoyed this note, go check out what my friend Kevin (skater and entrepreneur) is up to. I love his writing! (Here)
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Catch you soon!
thanks for the shout out 🤙 skateboarding ftw 🛹
Great read. I wonder if there’s any distinction between team and individual sports, it strikes me the latter might support that entrepreneurial mindset more, if one had to choose, I mean.
Best answer I’m sure is do both.