Stage 14. LUCK

From Vila do Bispo to Cabo de Sao Vicente - 16.4 km

• My life transformation story is only an example of what can happen. It had a nice ending but there was no guarantee it would happen that way.

• Despite having a clearly thought-out personal goal, despite having identified an idea with a decent probability of success grounded in a market in expansion and deep knowledge of the industry, despite defining a focused business model congruent with personal objectives, despite a readiness to act, and despite a resilience to keep on fighting in the storm, we could have failed.

• I had put a lot of factors on my side, but I still needed an extra push to seal the deal. Without a little bit of luck, it would not have been the same sweet story...

• I was lucky to have two key managers join the team early on. One would become our IT director, and the other the manager who would eventually take over the running of the company. They were both very competent, committed to the project, and reliable.

• I was lucky to have my wife’s positive support throughout the transition period and that she did not change her mind at the most difficult time as my co-founder did.

• I was lucky that no company tried to recruit me during the stressful early years. I might have been tempted to accept and the story would have ended there.

• I was lucky to sell the company before the Cyprus bank crisis and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Some people would say that all this was not luck but the result of great preparation, experience, and intuition. We all like to think that our success is the result of our actions and skills. We tend to attribute failure to a lack of hard work or intelligence and dismiss the influence of luck... until we experience bad luck.

• I believe luck is that little extra push that makes good planning and execution great. But it can also quickly put a fragile startup down on its knees because of bad timing or a black swan event.

• However, given the fact you cannot control it, luck is a consideration that should not prevent you from moving forward. You should take it as a fact of life, remembering it is not necessarily bad. You may actually experience good luck.

• So the only thing you can do is be the most prepared you can be and go for it!

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TRAVEL UPDATE - STAGE 14

Distance: 16.4 km

Cumulative Elevation: 234 m

Time: 4 hours

Weather: Sunny