About that Chip on Your Shoulder… (via @msuster)

- chip on your shoulder, “I’m going to change the world, just try and stop me” = good.
- chip on your shoulder, “Investors are all lemmings and I’ll prove it”  = not so good. Even when you don’t say it out loud – it shows.

Another gem from Mark Suster. Make sure to read the whole thing.

When I started investing I forgave this attitude and sympathized with the fact that many investors really don’t have a clue as compared to the entrepreneurs who pitch them. Like Mark, I like entrepreneurs with the “chip on the shoulder”, folks with a lot to prove.

Fortunately I realized that being upbeat, undaunted, and undeterred in the face of abject failure is a key success factor for any entrepreneur. Holding onto baggage / scar tissue portends distraction at best, failure at worst. Reminds me a bit of Peter Thiel’s (awesome) lecture on wars.  

Failure is an opportunity: to learn, adapt, “pivot”, and -most importantly- bounce back with spring in your step. Always look for the gold lining.