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When I was young I met a Spanish tennis player called Rafael Nadal when he was a kid. He was managed and coached by his uncle who had experience in being a pro
by Htsthbjig 12y ago
When I was young I met a Spanish tennis player called Rafael Nadal when he was a kid.
He was managed and coached by his uncle who had experience in being a professional football player.
What shocked me is that he did not sacrifice Rafael's life like most of other kids that could be good(examples like Michael Jackson or in tennis the Wiilians' sisters or Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in Spain).
At the time everybody believed that if Rafael was not sent to Barcelona to a tennis Boarding school without seeing their family and giving it all to tennis, he couldn't make it.
Toni, his uncle, believed that if he were to be a good tennis player sacrificing everything else, it was not worth it.
Rafael got to be the best Spanish player of all time.
When I created my company I wanted to be rich, but rich meant not just money, but having time to make love to my wife, see my children grow or reading and writing in HN.
At the end, you discover you could delegate lots of work.
- lazyant 12y ago> Rafael got to be the best Spanish player of all time. Easily considered the world's 2nd best tennis player ever, with chances of being the best tennis player ever.
- wellboy 12y agoExcellent story. While I think it's worth throwing oneself into a startup for a few years, because there are learnings you will get this way, that you will never get anywhere else, there should be a long term vision. The story of Rafael Nadal is great and applies to startups 100%, because the best founder is the one who has a balanced life and can make use of all of his creativity. A startup founder who doesn't have a life besides the startup, simply won't create a huge startup. Yes, they might be able to make a few hundred million, but they won't be the ones creating a transformative startup.
- antaviana 12y agoJust a small correction. Rafa Nadal trainer is not the former professional football player Miguel Angel Nadal (who is also Rafa's uncle) but Miguel Angel's brother, Toni Nadal.
- sliverstorm 12y agoAt the time everybody believed that if Rafael was not sent to Barcelona to a tennis Boarding school without seeing their family and giving it all to tennis, he couldn't make it. That's hustle. For those of us who are not gifted, we "make it" through hard work and sweat. Whether it's worth it or not is another question, but for most of us giving it your all is necessary to climb high.
- sweeney2066 12y agoWonderful. Is that the simple answer? Delegate, use other people, leverage resources.. and you too can have plenty of cash and time?