Entrepreneur Daily Why it pays to be daring

Dear Entrepreneur,

Entrepreneurs take risks. We go boldly into the unknown, armed with best guesses or data-driven hunches. We try what we can’t fully control. We attempt what we can’t fully predict. It’s crazy, really. We jump off cliffs and then see if the parachute works. How? Why? People always wonder that, as they consider their own leap into entrepreneurship. They ask, “How do you know?”

Here’s my answer: Entrepreneurs take risks because they can see the future. Unfortunately, they can’t see how their own risk will play out—that’s impossible. But they see the other future, the one in which they don’t take the risk. They imagine the usual path: staying in an uninspired job, never pursuing the idea they’re excited about, turning down their big chance. They see the regret, the boredom, the sense of missed potential. They see a dull future and they can’t stand it. They can’t bear it! So they take the risk, because the risk, at least, gives them a chance at something better. The risk is their effort to change their future. The risk is them taking control.

That’s why we devoted our November issue to risk. It’s our “50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs” issue, where we celebrate entrepreneurs for being bold. Will they all succeed? They won’t. But they’re giving themselves a shot at success—and I hope they inspire you to keep doing the same.