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The Courage to Think Big

Posted by: Anonymous on February 17, 2010 Source: e360 Blog

In a  recent interview , 28 year-old  Denuo Source founder Rahul Chowdhury described how business school gave him the courage to think big; “At the end of the day no matter what you do - you start a small little shop on the corner of Michigan Avenue selling newspapers, it still takes a lot of effort. Any business, no matter what you do, takes a lot of effort. So you might as well do something bigger because the effort is the same.”

So, why not think big?   It’s an important question worthy of discussion.   

Technology has all but eliminated the barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. A laptop and broadband connection now enable us to connect with millions, even billions of people around the world. Yet, for many, internal barriers remain. In the May 2007 issue of Harvard Business Review the poet David Whyte describes our tendency to avoid leaving the 5% of the reality we know rather than explore the other 95% we don’t know: The world we inhabit vs. the next, larger world that awaits us. The temptation is to say, “I’d much rather inhabit the 5% of reality where I’m in control rather than enter this 95% where I don’t know what the hell is going on.” Whyte explains. “What is the courageous conversation I am not having but need to have to take the next step?”

Too often, it’s our fear of the unknown that prevents us from leaving the 5% that we know. The temporary discomfort of uncertainty stands between where we are right now and the other 95% of our true potential.

So I’m asking you: Why not think big?

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5 Comments

Re: The Courage to Think Big
July 31, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
John Ettorre said...
Gary, you're a living example of the principal you're espousing here. Nicely said. Even better done.
Re: The Courage to Think Big
July 31, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
Kip Marlow said...
Kudos to Gary Schoeniger. Good advice from someone who truly walks the walk.

Kip Marlow
Re: The Courage to Think Big
July 31, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
BBJ said...
Great commentary, and it's true. There are only so many hours in the day and only so much effort you can put forward towards something, so you might as well make it big. I love it!
Re: The Courage to Think Big
July 31, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
Pandora console said...
All the businesses, whether it is small or big both of them needs the same effort so it is better to think big so that we can make more profits out of out efforts.
Re: The Courage to Think Big
July 31, 2010 @ 12:00 AM
<a href="http://www.entrepreneurship.org/entrepreneurship/blog/post/2010/02/17/The-Courage-to-Think-Big.aspx">Mike</a> said...
I totally agree. It is alway A LOT of work to start a business, no matter how big. The problem with the big ones is that you need a lot of capital in the beginnig an this part might be really hard to accomplish...

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