Being at a local maximum is a little like being on top of a mountain; every step in any direction is a step down – you are at the highest point in the area. But there’s a higher mountain, with a much higher summit. To reach it, you must first go down, and then go up again – in fact, you have to work much harder than you did to climb your current mountain. Should you leave your local maximum in search of a better result? Or should you stay on the top of your current, high-but-not-highest mountain top?

With January 1st approaching, it’s tempting to decide on a big new year’s resolution. If you are a startup founder, maybe you’ll use this turn of the calendar to make a big step or commit to a change in direction. But before you do, hear me out.

Everybody knows the role of a leader is to lead the team, and everybody knows the startup’s founder is the team’s leader. But not many understand what the real role of a startup leader is, and how much it’s different than the role of a typical team leader in a regular company.

For me, skydiving - jumping out of an airplane with a parachute - sounds like a terrifying experience. I will probably never do it in my entire life – much too scary for me.

But some people jump out of planes for a living; for them, skydiving is not a big deal. Even for those who did it two or three times feel like although it’s still a bit scary, it’s no longer a big deal.