The Special Air Service (SAS) is an elite unit of the British Army trained to carry out the most extreme of operations in all parts of the world. As Johnny ‘Lofty’ Wiseman writes in his book SAS Survival Guide, SAS forces are:
“Often isolated and far from conventional forces. Working in small groups, often in enemy territory, SAS soldiers have to become their own doctor, dentist, navigator and cook. Frequently, the operational situation makes resupply impossible and they have to live off the land. They have to handle every kind of situation and problem, whether man-made or an act of nature, and get back to safety, and must develop skills which enable them to survive anywhere.”
Choosing to found a startup will have you facing the business equivalent of what SAS forces engage in. As a founder, you will operate in new fields where conventional knowledge may not apply, while working in a small group going against large companies who will tear you apart if given the chance. You’ll also have to wear many hats, being able to become a designer, engineer, accountant, customer service rep., and sales leader. Founders have to be prepared to handle every kind of situation and problem, whether being a day away from not being able to make payroll or having an intern accidentally delete your entire database, all while keeping their company alive and growing their customer base.
Simply put, when things get tough, founders need to be able to survive.
So how do you, someone considering starting a company, gauge your capability to survive the hardships of being an entrepreneur and founder? The same way the SAS gauges survival capability.
When training their troops in survival, the SAS breaks down survival into a [three basic principles](http://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860), which comprise the pyramid of learning needed to survive.
Will to Live:
The Will to Live means never giving in, regardless of the situation. This is the bedrock of what makes a successful founder and survivor. In order to start a company you need to be mentally fit. In the face of disastrous odds, will you be capable of buckling down and keep grinding purely because you have the desire to see your dream live. The Will to Live is what keeps people alive when they get lost in the mountains and the Will to Live is what keeps companies in alive when it might seem easier to just declare bankruptcy.
The startup world is littered with examples of founders who showed the Will to Live. They ate nothing but ramen, racked up their credit card bills, and generally did anything and everything to get their idea off the ground and keep it there.
One of my favorite examples of this is that Cvent. Reggie Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Cvent, did a [great interview] (http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/20/there-and-back-again-how-cvents-founder-stood-by-his-company-for-better-or-bankruptcy/) on how he kept his company from withering and dying, despite being hit hard by the dot-com bubble burst.
The TL:DR of Reggie’s interview is that the Will to Live means being ready and willing to basically sign your life away in order to keep your dream alive.
Have The Right Set of Knowledge
After the Will to Live, you as a founder need to have the right set of knowledge. This one is pretty simple. The more you know, the easier it will be to survive. In SAS survival, this means learning from those who have had to survive in the past and having knowledge of the area you’ll be operating in.
For companies, this means do what you know. Meaning, start a business in a field where you have at least some experience. If you have done management consulting, then start a consulting company. If you have coded for a living, maybe start a software company.
Even with this foundation, however, be ready to learn. Founders need comprehensive skills that span the areas of finance, operations, marketing, management and more. Even with experience in the field in which you start your company, you are unlikely to know everything you need to run your business successfully. What you do need is an awareness of what skills you must learn in order to grow your company.
Once you know what you need to learn, go out and learn it! Platforms such as [Khan Academy](https://www.khanacademy.org/),[Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/) and [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/) are amazing places to begin expanding your knowledge. Another highly underutilized resource is your local public library. Technology has revolutionized the library, with apps such as [OverDrive](https://www.overdrive.com/) allowing you to instantly download e-books and audio books to your phone or tablet all for free with your library card!
Possess the Right Startup Kit
The top of our pyramid is your kit. That is, what are the essential survival items you need to keep your company alive? For the SAS the kit are things like a knife, compass, and duct tape.
For startups, a kit means knowing what the right tools for the job are. For example if you’re building a box subscription service, should you build the platform from scratch? Or is there a white label platform out there that is cost effective and will get you up and running much faster? Your kit should be comprised of the cheapest, easiest to use, most versatile, and efficient solutions out there.
A great starting place to build your kit is [Growth Supply](http://growth.supply/free/), a website that has compiled over 400 awesome free tools to help build new businesses. With resources on marketing, productivity, and business development this is a fantastic source of information for those just getting started in building their companies.
Are you prepared to survive?
Before you quit your job to pursue your dream of entrepreneurship, go through the SAS Survival Pyramid and make sure you can check off each of the layers. Do you have the will to keep grinding in face of uncertainty? Do you have the right set of knowledge to build the type of company you want to build? And lastly, what is the bare minimum set of tools you need to keep your company alive?
If you can’t answer these questions, then take the time better prepare yourself so that you can answer yes.
When you can answer them, you are ready to survive founding your own company.