What does your audience see?

My dad was a clever man; he 'figured out' life (in his time) long before I even knew there were rules. But he taught me one of the most important rules early.

"Always play the ball, not the man" -this came from him coaching me in soccer, when I was 10 --and he applied it to everything else that he did in life.

But apart from the obvious behavioural implications, it also was about accepting responsibility for your outcomes & not blaming others. Therein lies the greatest of learning.

You see, in the game of soccer,as it is in startups, our ability to improve our ball handling skills is in our control, not some-one else's.

The better I get at controlling the ball, the more chance I have of directing it where I want it to go, ideally toward the goal.

And in the game of soccer, like startups, whether you win or lose the game, (even if it is just the coach & the players), there is always an audience.