Saturday, June 19, 2021

Applying Sermon on the Mount to startups.. Money is not important..

Sermon on the Mount for startup founders

I believe Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is the best study book for startup founders mindset. Surprisingly enough, I find more and more confirmations of its validity in lives of the world's greatest people.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
...
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
...
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money
... 
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
...
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
...
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
...
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
...
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7

Life mission makes us happy

Life is about the process. There is no need to run for the result: eventually everybody have the same result: death. So it makes sense to live just to be happy. This is about the process, not about the result. However, there is a tricky dual connection: we are happy with the process when it directs us to the right result (right goal) perspective. We are happy when we are moving to the right direction, even though not achieved it yet. The most admirable goal is life mission.

What makes us happy most? Apart from short term regular daily needs and pleasures there is some kind of long-term happiness. It is love. While love is usually referred to some feeling between sexes, I prefer another kind of love. The best love we could have is the love to our life mission. John Kennedy once met a janitor mopping up the floor at NASA. Kennedy asked what is he doing. The janitor responded, “I’m helping send a man to the moon.” The janitor is a happy man because he has a life mission. Once we find a mission, we can become happy also.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? (Sermon on the Mount)

Once we find our mission to change the world, nothing else matters. I can sleep in the garage and eat expired food leftovers if I am on the way to my life mission. If I have no mission, the most luxurious apartments and the most expensive food will not make me happy.

World greatest people don't care about money

Grigory Perelman, a Russian mathematician turned down a million dollar prize from the mathematician society. Knowing the secret of universe is more important for him than money.

In 2006, Yahoo offered Mark to sell Facebook for $1 billion. This sounds like Zillion. Mark famously responded to his investors: 

This is kind of a formality, just a quick board meeting, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. We're obviously not going to sell here.

Later Mark and his wife pledged to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares to charity fund.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Sermon on the Mount)

Today Mark's net worth is about $120 billion.

Steve turned down prestigious Reed College diploma. Then he slept on the floor in his friends' room. Later he traveled to India and became homeless there. His famous quote is: 

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Sermon on the Mount)

First time in Silicon Valley was not luxurious for Elon. He slept on the couch in the office with his brother. They took shower in the local fitness club.

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Sermon on the Mount)

There is something more important than money

There are many followers in every religion. However only small percentage of them really believe in God. Those who believe, are really happy. They don't need money, they don't care about problems of the current life.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Sermon on the Mount)

There are many startup founders who apply for investments. However only small percentage of them are ready to work 12 hours a day for 2 years, no salary, no weekends, sleeping on the floor, eating twice a day. Only those have life mission. Mission is more valuable than money and other pleasures. Mission is life, life is mission. Life is what we exchange for mission, mission is exchanged for life. Life is more valuable than money. Life is more valuable than anything else.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (Sermon on the Mount)

Let's interpret Jesus's words: money is a sand whilst life mission is a rock.

Psychiatrists would call this schizophrenia. If Jesus would visit psychiatrist, he would be diagnosed with a hardest form of schizophrenia and involuntary hospitalized. Well, better I have schizophrenia rather than being an ordinary person, living ordinary life and dying like everybody else. So nobody except for grandchildren remember me.

The best illustration ever is provided in Matrix (1999):

- What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
- No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.

Will good startup founder easily get an investment? No. When he is ready, he doesn't have to.

Most reasonable people would like to get highly paid job to sustain a comfort level of life. However, let's ask an average reasonable person the following question: 

You can get indefinite life (so you can live for thousands of years). Or: you can get $1 billion, but then you will die like everybody else in within this century. What would you choose? 

I bet most regular people choose indefinite life. The trick is everybody wants it, however nobody knows that everybody already has it. Everybody just thinks they live only once. And this life is all they have.

Don't waste lifetime

Good time management books start with identifying the whole life goal (unlike micro-managing daily tasks). They suggest to ask yourself the following questions:
- What would I do if I die in one week?
- What would I want to be written on my graveyard?
- What would I would if I would have one billion of dollars?
- What job I can do for free?

Steve asked himself the similar question:

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

And his even more important words are:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary...
... Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

I believe Steve and time management experts would agree with the Bible "Parable of the Talents", in Matthew 25:14–30. Master gave to slaves talents (money). Then he punished the slave who didn't get any profit from the talents. And he admired the slave who put talents into business, used them efficiently and came back with double amount.

For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Master is God. Talents are lifetime and other gifts given to us by God: skills, connections, ideas, chances, dreams etc. If we waste talents, most importantly the lifetime as a talent, we are bad slaves. That's why Steve worried that he is moving to wrong direction when his lifetime is limited. Wasting the time is a sin in front of God. Spending time on life mission is admirable by God.

Every morning we wake up. The first thing we notice is we are alive. That means, God gave us one additional day on purpose. Don't waste this day.

The happiness of belonging to life mission destroys the fear of being poor and homeless till the end of the life. Because life mission gives something more than money.

Fear of God

Since God assigned us lifetime for a purpose, we should have fear of wasting it. We should have fear of God. We should be afraid of God's anger. God is a boss who helps us to fulfill his mission and who punishes us if we deny to obey.

There is no power greater than God. Hence, we should be afraid of nothing but God. Americans say:

Don't tell God how big your problems are. Tell your problems how big your God is.

The best illustration by artists is in the "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989):

How to find life mission?

Steve clearly answers this question supra:

... have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary...

We see strong connection between "courage" and "your heart" in the same phrase. Heart shows us the way to the life mission. To see this way, we need a courage. Courage is needed when we have fear. Thus, I dare to say: fear shows us the way of the heart. Every time we have fear - it is a signal of the right way. We need to follow our fears and overcome them.

E. g. we see some injustice and would like to oppose it. However injustice is committed by a stronger person and we feel fear to oppose. That means we are on the right way. Another example: say we have highly paid office job and great carrier perspective. However we hate what we do. Our dream is say to become an artist, but an artist at the starting point is not paid at all. We have a fear of becoming poor if we follow our dream. Nevertheless, fear shows us the right way.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Sermon on the Mount)

We never know the destination point assigned to us by God. However we need to trust our heart to get there. As Steve explains:

...you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life...

If nothing helps, a prayer is a great way to get answers. We think we talk to ourselves. However, it is God who talks to us.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Have we ever cried while reading or watching something? A tear is a clear indicator of the proper way.

No comments:

Post a Comment