What Stoicism teaches us about entrepreneurship

The Stoics say: Some things are in your control. Most are not. We like to believe we’re in control especially when things go well.

When the economy grows under a president, they proudly say, “Look what I did.” But when it crashes? Suddenly it’s the fault of “global market forces.” It’s Russia. Or China. Or the last administration. Anything but them.

And you know what? It’s not just politicians. We all do this. I did it too.

When råbowls was booming, I felt invincible. Like I cracked the code. Like it was me. But when it started falling apart, I blamed the city, the location, the team, the system.

The truth? It was both. And neither. Because life — business, politics, relationships — is not a direct reflection of your effort alone. It’s a dance between your input and the randomness of the world.

We overestimate our influence. That’s not necessarily bad — it gives us motivation. But it becomes dangerous when we confuse effort with entitlement.

I once read that when couples are asked how much of the housework they do, the answers always add up to more than 100%. Not because people are lying — but because we only see what we do. We live in bubbles of contribution bias.

Entrepreneurship is the same. You hustle. You sacrifice. You strategize. And then one day, your brand gets featured in an article — and sales explode.

It feels like success. But it’s also luck. And Stoicism taught me this: Do your best. Show up fully. But don’t cling to the outcome. Because so much is out of your hands — and always was.

There’s peace in that. Not laziness. Not apathy. Just humility.

So the next time something goes right, celebrate — but bow to the luck. And when things fall apart, don’t collapse under the guilt. Do your best — and then let go.