Poker prepared me for entrepreneurship in a unique way by teaching me to be comfortable with people not understanding my choices. I can’t tell you how many times I received blank or puzzled stares during my poker days. Many people saw it as pure gambling, while I knew it was a skill game. This unconventional path sometimes made it difficult to connect with friends, family, and partners.
Entrepreneurship shares this quality; you need to be indifferent to others’ opinions and focus on your belief in yourself and your goals. People often fear what is different or new, but their insecurities are more about them than about you. Over time, exposure to doubt can lead to growing numb to it and realizing that thinking differently might actually provide an advantage.
In some ways, poker is easier because it’s a well-trodden path; others have played and won before, so you know it’s possible. Entrepreneurship and innovation, on the other hand, might involve chasing seemingly impossible dreams. It’s essential not to be delusional about your chances but embrace the risk of doing something new.
In my experience, few things prepared me for starting ventures that didn’t make sense to others or involved significant risks like poker did. This valuable lesson has carried over into my entrepreneurial journey, teaching me to navigate the challenges of pursuing unconventional paths.