Running a Marathon, Running a Startup: Lessons From the Road
Lately, I’ve been training for my first marathon. And let me tell you, the road is long, literally and metaphorically. The more I run, the more I realize that preparing for a marathon has a lot in common with building a startup. Both are endurance sports, both will test every fiber of your patience, and both require you to keep going when your brain is screaming: “Quit already!”
Let me share a story.
When Half-Marathon (21K) Felt Impossible
A while back, I ran my first Half-Marathon. At first, I felt great; legs fresh, energy high, smile on my face. But somewhere near the end of the race, things got ugly. My legs turned heavy, my lungs burned, and a voice in my head whispered: “How are you supposed to run double this distance someday? You should totally quit!”
And yet, I didn’t. Step by step, stubborn as ever, I kept pushing. And finally, after 2 hours and 15 mins, I crossed that finish line.
The amazing part? Something I thought was impossible became possible, just because I insisted. I kept saying “It’s just pain” and I knew it’s temporary, it will end, the moment I cross that finish line. That moment changed me. It made me believe that if I keep training harder, the full marathon won’t just be a dream, it will be within reach.
The Startup Parallel
Startups follow the same brutal logic. At some point, every founder hits a wall. Sales stall. Funding doesn’t come. The product feels half-baked. And you think: “This is impossible. We should quit.”
But if you keep pushing, one customer at a time, one iteration at a time, something incredible happens. Suddenly, the impossible starts to bend. You find momentum. You get traction. Success doesn’t come overnight, but it does come if you endure long enough to see it.
Pacing, Patience, and Pain
In running, if you start too fast, you’ll burn out before you even reach the halfway mark. Same with startups. Resources are limited, so you have to stay lean and focused. Choose one milestone at a time, and don’t let the temptation of “doing everything at once” trip you up.
It’s not the flashy sprint that wins in the long run, it’s the steady, disciplined pace.
You Don’t Run Alone
One thing I’ve learned is that running is never really a solo sport. The crowd cheering, the group runs, the high-fives at the finish line, they matter. At Starttech, we’ve embraced this through Starttech Runners, our team that joins races across Athens. The camaraderie makes the hard kilometers easier, and the finish line sweeter.
Startups need that same kind of community. Mentors, peers, and allies who help you push forward when you’re too tired to keep going alone. That’s exactly what Starttech Ventures offers.
Warhorses Over Unicorns
Marathons aren’t about being flashy. They’re about resilience, grit, and the will to keep moving forward when things get tough. At Starttech Ventures, that’s why we believe in warhorses, not unicorns. Sustainable, battle-tested companies that can go the distance.
Crossing the Finish Line
So here’s my takeaway: whether it’s running a marathon or running a startup, there will be moments when quitting feels easier than continuing. But if you keep pushing, step by step, sprint by sprint, you’ll eventually make the impossible; possible.
And when you finally cross that finish line, you’ll know it wasn’t magic or luck. It was persistence, discipline, and the courage to keep running when everything inside you said “stop.”
