Paige Finn DohertyFounding Partner, Behind Genius · Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures

leading a company from mountaineering adventures

5 Mar 2024 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:50

In this brief dialogue, Speaker A asks Speaker B what lessons they have drawn from mountaineering for leading a company. Speaker B explains that they climb every Saturday, confronting continual challenges and striving to reach the summit safely. They liken this recurring struggle to the battle‑by‑battle nature of a startup, saying the experience hones "startup grit." The regular, demanding climbs also keep them physically fit, which they claim becomes valuable once the business reaches product‑market fit and must scale rapidly, as fitness helps handle the increased workload and demands.

Chapters

I'm curious, what have you learned about leading a company from your mountaineering adventures?
Well, one thing about mountaineering is I typically go mountaineering on Saturdays every week. One thing about it is you're struggling every Saturday, fighting against odds and trying to get to the summit and come back safe in one piece. And it's a lot like a startup. You're fighting one battle after another in a startup. And so you kind of hone your startup grit, I like to say. So that's one reason why I like mountaineering. It's an interesting challenge and it keeps people fit as well, especially once you get product-market fit and you start selling and gotta send a lot of people. Believe it or not, being fit helps.