What does it take to navigate the challenging journey between starting a business and achieving success? How can entrepreneurs maintain their drive and focus during the long, unpredictable middle years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Messy Middle<\/em>, a book by Scott Belsky, dives deep into the often-overlooked phase of building a business. Drawing from his experience as the founder of Behance and an early investor in companies such as Uber and Pinterest, Belsky shares practical insights for surviving and thriving as an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read on to explore how to embrace uncertainty<\/a>, maintain team motivation<\/a>, and develop the resilience needed to turn your business vision<\/a> into reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The time between starting a business and its eventual success or failure is marked by a seemingly endless series of ups and downs. With patience, endurance, and no small amount of luck, you may find that each of your lows is less of a setback while each high pushes you a bit further. This back-and-forth is normal and even necessary for growth, so what if you embraced it instead of trying to avoid it? The Messy Middle<\/em><\/a> (2018), <\/em>a book by Scott Belsky, argues that, if you charge headfirst into the challenges you\u2019ll face during these drawn-out \u201cmiddle years,\u201d you\u2019ll develop the skills and insights you\u2019ll need to ultimately realize your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky explores the challenging and often overlooked middle phase of entrepreneurial projects. He argues that while we often focus on the beginning and the end of success stories<\/a> we admire, the middle is where the most important work happens<\/strong>, and it\u2019s where the real learning and development occurs. The problems you\u2019ll face during this time will force you to fine-tune your approach to success while developing the resilience you\u2019ll need to see it through. The middle may be uncomfortable<\/a>, but Belsky insists that it yields benefits that will make your success more likely in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky is an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in the tech field and creative industries. He\u2019s best known as the cofounder of Behance, an online platform for showcasing creative work, which was acquired by Adobe in 2012. He would later serve as chief product officer and executive vice president. Belsky is a venture partner at Benchmark, a Silicon Valley venture capital<\/a> firm, and he was an early investor in several well-known companies such as Uber, Pinterest, and Warby Parker. In addition to The Messy Middle<\/em>, he is the author of Making Ideas Happen<\/em><\/a> (2010), about seeing creative endeavors through to the finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this overview, we\u2019ll explore the difficulties you\u2019ll encounter once your startup or project gets going, but after your initial excitement wears off. We\u2019ll describe the skills you\u2019ll need to cultivate as well as some weaknesses to beware of. We\u2019ll discuss how to keep your team motivated, how to be patient through years of uncertainty, and how Belsky says you should cope with success if and when it finally comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most business leaders like to brag about how their companies started and how much success they found in the end, but Belsky points out that recounting these dramatic moments reveals little about their actual journeys. The time between launching an idea and seeing it realized isn\u2019t glamorous,<\/strong> and many successful entrepreneurs never talk about it, because doing so requires a level of vulnerability. However, skipping over the important \u201cmiddle years\u201d leaves aspiring entrepreneurs with an incomplete and unrealistic picture of what to expect. Belsky discusses two challenges during these middle years as well as the importance of celebrating progress even when your ultimate goal is far away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first challenge an entrepreneur faces is dealing with uncertainty<\/a>. When you start a new project or venture, you have no way of knowing whether it will succeed. Belsky argues that leaders must function without certainty and let the growth process play out.<\/strong> Part of this means resisting the urge to seek easy or simplistic solutions to business problems. This is an issue Belsky struggled with himself\u2014when growing his business felt like a neverending uphill battle without a clear path forward, he had to fight the urge to sweep problems under the rug or settle for easy workaround solutions. He argues that patching over problems with easy fixes will often lead you to overlook truly original ideas<\/a> that might make your business stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky argues that, as an entrepreneur, if you can accept uncertainty as a fact of life, part of your mind will always be working on creative solutions to your business problems.<\/strong> Belsky attests to this from personal experience\u2014during his time as an entrepreneur, part of his mind remained focused on work no matter what else was going on in his life. Though intrusive at times, this ongoing mental work was a vital part of making good decisions<\/a>. To manage this constant background noise, he recommends focusing on the individual problems before you, such as fixing a design flaw in your product, while keeping an eye on your broader concerns, such as the ultimate goal and financial health of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second challenge is dealing with setbacks and extended periods of hardship. To be clear\u2014entrepreneurship isn\u2019t fun. Belsky emphasizes that you and your team must accept discomfort as a necessary part of pursuing your goals.<\/strong> After all, many successful companies emerged from failed initial concepts, and your ability to pivot and start over, despite the psychological toll it takes, is crucial to success. To achieve this resilience, you need a deep commitment to your overall mission<\/em> without becoming attached to one specific approach. Since this kind of resilience is so important, Belsky suggests that when hiring your team, you should evaluate your candidates’ ability to deal with uncertainty<\/a>, challenges, and self-doubt<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resilience can be hard to cultivate because humans evolved to prioritize short-term gains. Leaders must recognize this and find ways to help their teams stay motivated during long-term projects. Belsky says it\u2019s important to provide your team with regular doses of positive reinforcement.<\/strong> Otherwise, you and your team may feel like you\u2019re spinning your wheels. Traditional measures of success, like customer growth or financial gains, are often absent in the middle years of a venture, and the lack of external validation<\/a> can be demoralizing. Therefore, you\u2019ll have to create motivation by celebrating small victories and milestones, even if only by throwing a pizza party when your team successfully adds a new feature to your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Belsky cautions against celebrating false victories or giving positive feedback at the expense of confronting hard truths. Focusing only on positive outcomes or overstating praise can lead you to ignore problems.<\/strong> Instead, strive for an objective view of your venture\u2019s progress, considering both its positive and negative trends. Look at your business from multiple points of view, such as those of investors or potential customers, and you\u2019ll be able to keep a realistic view of your progress and the challenges still ahead. Be honest with yourself and your team about your business\u2019s difficulties\u2014don\u2019t hide bad news while you celebrate progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To stay objective about your business\u2019s progress, you need to also be realistic about yourself. Belsky emphasizes the critical importance of self-awareness as you deal with the challenges of bringing your ideas to fruition. Knowing who you are and how you react to stress can keep you on an even keel through ups and downs, leave you open to other people\u2019s ideas, and turn your uniqueness into a competitive edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky writes that understanding your emotional responses and values lets you maintain perspective during both the good times and the bad.<\/strong> During periods of success, some people develop an overblown sense of their abilities and become less receptive to other people’s advice. You may also ignore warning signs that you don\u2019t want to acknowledge. This overconfidence can lead to poor decisions and even a disconnect from reality. Conversely, during hard times, you might become defensive and blame others for your problems<\/a>. If you\u2019re able to recognize\u2014and hopefully curb\u2014these behaviors in yourself, you’re more likely to maintain a good sense of judgment and take appropriate actions when you need to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your emotional awareness isn\u2019t just good for you\u2014it\u2019s also good for your business. For instance, being able to moderate your reactions during your venture\u2019s ups and downs can help you stay open to feedback and criticism, <\/strong>which you need as a leader to make informed decisions and avoid critical mistakes. Belsky notes that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who can absorb input from others without becoming overly defensive. Plus, if you can notice your own defensiveness, you\u2019ll also learn to spot when people on your team are having a similar reaction. That will help you guide them through the good and bad times by knowing how much emotionality is guiding the decisions they\u2019re making for your project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another benefit of knowing yourself is that you can leverage your uniqueness to stand out from your competitors.<\/strong> Belsky encourages embracing your one-of-a-kind perspective as a source of potential innovations and breakthroughs. It may be tempting to establish your business in terms of what\u2019s been done before, but conformity stifles new ideas. Belsky argues that you should lean into your distinctive vision instead of imitating your competitors. For instance, you might give your product a design that\u2019s eye-catching to some while off-putting to others. Your ideas may strike some people as quirky, weird, or too far from the norm, but unique ideas will attract those who resonate strongly with your vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to knowing your strengths, you also have to work to constantly improve yourself as a business leader while nursing your startup through its growing pains. In particular, Belsky says to work on your ability to focus, make instinctive decisions, and plan for the future while remaining flexible about the inevitable changes you\u2019re bound to face in this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky writes that, to be successful, you must focus your efforts<\/a> and say no to distractions.<\/strong> This can be tricky because as your business grows, you’ll encounter more opportunities and have to choose between them. Belsky advises analyzing opportunities based on whether they match up with your goals or will help you develop a skill. By being selective, you don\u2019t waste your time and energy on pursuits that won\u2019t pay off for your business. However, you must also learn to make those decisions without getting bogged down by overthinking\u2014sometimes it’s best to go with your instinct rather than endlessly weighing your options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surviving a growing startup\u2019s middle years requires constantly improving your business instincts and decision-making<\/a> skills.<\/strong> Belsky suggests seeking advice from sources who don\u2019t always agree and using it to refine your intuition. He also emphasizes the value of doubt to equip you to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. Lastly, to make good decisions, you have to maintain your ability to think creatively. Belsky recommends blocking out time to tap into your creativity by turning off all your devices and letting your mind wander. Otherwise, your mind will stay reactive to every phone call and email notification, all of which stifles innovative thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Business success also requires planning\u2014and the willingness to adapt as circumstances change. Belsky suggests you view planning as a thought exercise that prepares you for your business\u2019s unpredictability.<\/strong> However, you shouldn’t expect your business\u2019s growth to follow your original plan. Instead, regularly reevaluate your progress and adjust your plans, letting go of projects and ideas that no longer serve your goals, even if you’ve already put significant resources into them. It’s natural to value a project that you’ve invested time and money into, but clinging to past investments can prevent you from making the changes your business may need so it can flourish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s unlikely that your new startup venture will be a one-person operation, and the burden of pushing through the hard middle years shouldn\u2019t fall on your shoulders alone. Instead, achieving your overall business goals will doubtless be a team effort. Here, we\u2019ll discuss how your team will need to maintain their collective motivation, stay focused on the tasks most important to their success, and avoid the distractions that will try to drag them down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We often think of marketing as something directed at potential customers, but, during the growing phase of your business, you must constantly market your vision to your team.<\/strong> Belsky suggests using graphics, slogans, and regular communications to reinforce your company\u2019s key goals and milestones. You can create internal \u201cadvertising\u201d that highlights your team\u2019s achievements while pointing them toward the next steps in their process. By consistently promoting your vision and making progress visible, you keep your business\u2019s reason for existence at the top of your team members\u2019 minds. If done well, this will maintain enthusiasm and give people a clear sense of how their work contributes to the bigger picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However you achieve motivation, your team needs it to stay focused on the most important tasks. Belsky points out that, when progress feels slow, teams often dwell on small, easy problems instead of more significant issues.<\/strong> For instance, your team might fix an app\u2019s fonts and color schemes instead of addressing functionality problems. This behavior comes from our deep-seated desire for the gratification of finishing a task, but it also leads to neglecting big problems that impact a project’s success. Belsky suggests that you clearly identify which tasks are the most significant and require your team to spend four-fifths of their time on important goals before moving to the quick, easy problems. Though difficult tasks take longer to achieve, explain to your team that accomplishing these tasks will be ultimately more rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you avoid major issues for too long in favor of making small corrections here and there, your business will build up “organizational debt.” Belsky writes that organizational debt<\/em> is the build-up of hard decisions<\/a> that leaders avoid,<\/strong> often because of an aversion to conflict. Organizational debt manifests as retaining workers you should let go, maintaining outdated processes, or putting off needed restructuring. To reduce or prevent these problems from occurring, Belsky says to confront your challenges rather than working around them. Make it clear that this duty also falls on your team to identify and eliminate inefficiencies by being honest with themselves and seeking continuous improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The larger your business grows, the more likely it is to become bureaucratic, focusing on rules and procedures while slowing down innovation. Belsky advises against blaming <\/em>bureaucracy, since it\u2019s often needed to keep a big business afloat. Instead, the key to innovation in such environments is to keep projects moving incrementally forward and take responsibility<\/a> for maintaining momentum.<\/strong> As with reducing organizational debt, this job doesn\u2019t solely fall on the business owner. Belsky suggests that anyone on your team, regardless of their position, can drive progress with the right motivation, which follows from your job to keep all team members invested in achieving your company\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The highs and lows of the road to success aren\u2019t the only struggles you\u2019re going to face. According to Belsky, the chief factor that makes growing a business so difficult is the sheer amount of time it takes. Surmounting this barrier takes determination, a great deal of patience, and a curious mind that can find its own rewards in the midst of the process <\/em>long before you reach the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belsky argues that short-term thinking is only natural, which makes it hard to focus<\/a> on long-term goals and strategies. That\u2019s why enduring the challenges of growing a startup requires tremendous fortitude.<\/strong> However, to sustain your momentum over the long haul, you can\u2019t rely on personal praise, good reviews, or even other people\u2019s understanding. Though it\u2019s only natural to crave those things, not getting noticed for all your hard work could easily frustrate you and cloud your judgment if that\u2019s your only motive for success. Therefore, Belsky says that, instead of relying on external validation, your motivation must come from within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To endure the long stretch between beginning a project and seeing it succeed, you\u2019ll need a lot of patience.<\/strong> Belsky points out that many business success stories ignore the need for patience, giving entrepreneurs unrealistic expectations<\/a>, when some seemingly \u201covernight\u201d successes come after years of persistence. While you may have conceived your business strategy quickly, it can only be carried out over a long time. Therefore, you need to adjust your expectations and how you measure your company\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Messy Middle<\/em> Book Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Road Forward Is a Maze<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day-to-Day Entrepreneurship Isn\u2019t Fun<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Celebrate When You Can<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Stay Aware of Your Strengths & Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Benefits of Self-Awareness<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Stay Focused but Flexible<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Keep Your Team on Track<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Motivating Your Team<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bureaucracy & Organizational Debt<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Long Haul<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Determination<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Patience & Curiosity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n