Frustration Tolerance

What do Innovators , Rocket launchers and Sales people have in common ?

Number of setbacks.

While Politics of sale, market actions, client dynamics give nasty surprises to sales people, complex technologies/ideas, market timing, money challenges frustrate the innovators. Best scientific brains work for years on a rocket launch only to see it fall into the waters /explode for reasons not known/factored in.

Do you need a bigger case for frustration tolerance? Is it a skill or an attribute? How does one develop/acquire it?

While nobody wants a setback, they are a given. They happen more often than people expect and can derail the passion in an instant. While the first one might be tough, one must plan/expect/ be ready for the subsequent set backs. Just look at the numbers.

Whats the ratio of a sales call to a signed deal ?

Ratio of Startups to survival to Unicorns?

Ratio of rocket launches to success?

These are not odds. They are the reality one needs to be prepared for.

Every setback provides you learning opportunities but still is a setback that you need to recover from. And that needs the disposition called Frustration Tolerance. The attribute almost calls for dispassionate analysis and pivoting that is so critical not just for you but for everyone else involved.

When you plan a project or an idea next time, plan for few setbacks at the minimum. Otherwise you are daydreaming!

What do Innovators , Rocket launchers and Sales people have in common ?

Number of setbacks.

While Politics of sale, market actions, client dynamics give nasty surprises to sales people, complex technologies/ideas, market timing, money challenges frustrate the innovators. Best scientific brains work for years on a rocket launch only to see it fall into the waters /explode for reasons not known/factored in.

Do you need a bigger case for frustration tolerance? Is it a skill or an attribute? How does one develop/acquire it?

While nobody wants a setback, they are a given. They happen more often than people expect and can derail the passion in an instant. While the first one might be tough, one must plan/expect/ be ready for the subsequent set backs. Just look at the numbers.

Whats the ratio of a sales call to a signed deal ?

Ratio of Startups to survival to Unicorns?

Ratio of rocket launches to success?

These are not odds. They are the reality one needs to be prepared for.

Every setback provides you learning opportunities but still is a setback that you need to recover from. And that needs the disposition called Frustration Tolerance. The attribute almost calls for dispassionate analysis and pivoting that is so critical not just for you but for everyone else involved.

When you plan a project or an idea next time, plan for few setbacks at the minimum. Otherwise you are daydreaming!