There is no such thing as overnight success. — Milton Hershey
We’ve seen it all.
A startup “suddenly” attained seven-figure revenues. A founder became an overnight sensation. A brand reached a new level of popularity due to social media. Now it seems they all came out of nowhere.
What if they aren’t “overnight”, just the first time you have watched them?
Obscurity is behind the majority of breakthroughs: a long period of trials, an unnoticeable number of pivots, a plethora of rejection emails, a lot of financial strain, and years’ worth of life lessons. A prime example is what Jeff Bezos claimed he had witnessed: “Overnight success is ten years in the making.”
To have success in the business world is rarely based on timing but rather on lasting through the long term until one can improve.
The phase nobody talks about: When you’re trying, failing, and still showing up
Every business owner begins their journey believing in themselves. The initial idea is often a good one that seems destined to be a success. However, once it is brought to fruition, the reality of the marketplace confronts the entrepreneur.
Sara Blakely experienced many years of rejection before Spanx became a national brand and was found in major retail locations. The founders of Airbnb experienced numerous rejected attempts at establishing their company, including selling boxes of cereal to stay alive. Neither was able to create his/her company overnight, but each obtained their success through continuous effort and determination.
The current level of this stage is very chaotic, including mispriced products, incorrect audience targeting, and excessive production. However, the attempt to test is a critical step towards understanding the actual needs and desires of the market.
As Reid Hoffman wisely said, “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”
In the modern era, there are many more options for testing than there used to be, including affordable online platforms such as Shopify and Canva; however, these types of tools do not eliminate the discomfort associated with testing; they merely help you run your tests on a much faster cycle than was previously possible.
The “failing” and “figuring it out” phase: Where growth is forged
Failure plays a pivotal role in running a business.
You can have bad ad campaigns, you can have bad partnerships, and your revenue can fall. All of these forms of failure help you refine your strategic direction by revealing poor business models and forcing the establishment of better systems.
Thomas Edison articulated this really well: “I have not failed. I have just discovered 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
Eventually, an evolution happens. Patterns are found in what you’re seeing. Decisions are made based on how closely you have gotten to your customers. Systems are created. Slack transitioned from a defunct game developer. Netflix changed from just providing DVDs. The appearance of being lucky is usually about adapting.
Scott Belsky said it best: “It’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen.”
In other words, overnight success isn’t magic; it’s momentum meeting preparation.
If you want to know what it takes to build something of consequence, read this book, where you will be taken behind the scenes and shown the truths that aren’t in most headlines. Instead of looking up to successful people and wishing you were as successful as them, find out how they did it.