The start-up ultra marathon

The Startup Ultra Marathon

by Kurt Vandebroek

People ask me all the time what pleasure I find in running an ultra marathon. For an outsider, running a distance longer than a marathon might seem like torture or masochism.

I always compare it to the experience of starting a new company. You start all excited, looking forward to a new adventure. The first few miles are a warm up and almost always pleasant, unless you start with an injury from a previous race. You think to yourself, I’m in the best shape of my life and it’s going to be a smooth sailing.

As you grind away the miles, though, it’s a given that you’ll run into obstacles (sometimes literally): your new backpack starts causing chafing, a hotspot starts nagging at your heel, a cramping sensation starts at your side.

Sound familiar to the startup entrepreneur?

There are plenty of these discomforts early on in a startup: a new hire that is not performing as expected, some negative client feedback, slow release of key functionality, you name it. But energy is still high, so you have confidence and you keep going.

Then comes that first crisis moment. The hotspot turns into a blister, a key client is threatening to end their contract, funding isn’t closing as fast as you expected. You know you’re being tested, so you reach down and find your second wind. You keep calm, try not to let doubt cloud your mind, and focus on assessing the risks, finding solutions, and moving forward.

As in startups, the path to a successful ultra marathon is a jigsaw of emotions, and you need commitment, grit, and determination to make it. Moments of pure ecstasy can be quickly replaced by setbacks and frustration. How many times did I think, I will never do this again, what was I thinking when I started this venture?

But then you remember how much you love the process, connecting with fellow runners, enjoying stunning views and hearing a supportive crowd. It is like working with a great team in pursuit of that common goal, building a successful business.

The final miles are always a rush of adrenaline. You cross the finish line with a smile, a deep sense of accomplishment, you managed a great exit for your startup and think to yourself… I can’t wait to sign up for the next race! A new venture, a longer distance, a better process, and above all another challenge.

In 2019, I finished 10 ultra marathons and one regular marathon. I also founded c-f² (co-founder fund). It’s hard to start 10 ventures in a year, but with c-f² we aim at co-founding or pacing (for the non-ultra racer, check it out here) about 5 ventures a year from idea stage to series A. So far we have teamed with dittofi, Gynzy, School Deets and Q-Lana, and we can’t wait to see where else the future will bring us.

Entrepreneurship is an ultra marathon, not a sprint!