There's a gaping chasm between the environment we learn in as adolescents and the one we operate in as adults. This can cause problems in later life — especially for start-up founders and would-be innovators — because the mental and cultural modalities encouraged in school are an impediment to entrepreneurship in many, many ways.

One problem in particular is the “Grade A student” mentality — a problem I suffered with until my mentors beat it out of me.

At school we're often led to believe we can excel (or be similarly capable) at everything. Later, if we decide to start our own venture, this belief can sub-consciously lead us to try doing everything ourselves.

In business though, specialisms are deeper, and gaps between knowledge (from learning) and wisdom (from doing) are wider. Trying to do everything — marketing, product development, accounting, whatever — will bring your strengths into parity with your weaknesses, not vice versa.

Instead, to succeed, we must outsource our weaknesses to others for whom they're strengths, and capitalize on our unique abilities.

As Guitarist Steve Vai put it: “I don't work on my weaknesses, I ignore them, and I cultivate my strengths.” As someone who learned this lesson the hard way, I cannot over- emphasize how important this is.

See this post on LinkedIn