"As an entrepreneur you have to do what the Vikings did. You have burn the ships."
When Vikings landed their great oared ships on foreign lands seeking conquest, they would do something dramatic. Yes, dramatic beyond the huge blonde beards, giant axes, and horned helmets. After they had set to shore, they would burn the very vessles that brought them there. Then march to war and never look back.
This is quintessential entrepreneurialism.
There is no retreat. Whether you're just starting out and second-guessing yourself, or bootstrapping is wearing you down, fighting to make payroll, or trying to get the next round of funding to... just... please... close... you can't give up.
The battle is ahead of you, not behind.
Steer yourself towards that goal and charge towards it with that obscenely large axe like there's no tomorrow.
Financial accounting has a term they use that is in the spirit of "burning the ships"--sunk costs. Money you've already spent is irrelevant. Look ahead.
This theme should invade your thinking (excuse the viking pun) in all aspects of your startup. Are your users demanding a feature tweak? Make the decision and move ahead. Fretting over the new design? The old design is a burned ship. Scavenge the pieces you need to take with you in the battle ahead and move forward.
Pick up your axe and take the fight to your competitors.
[Disclaimer: This is not supposed to be one of those entrepreneurial affirmation articles, but that pearl of wisdom really grabbed me.]
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