If— Talk Less. Execute More.
A healthy moment of introspection
After one busy busy week, I managed to grab a moment of ME TIME, so off I went to sit on the beach armed with my book and pen to do some of the meditation and introspection stuff that keeps me on the straight and narrow. This is what came up…
🇬🇧 Growing up in the British education system, If— by Rudyard Kipling was more than just a poem—it was an indoctrination into a set of human values. It was a blueprint for resilience, self-discipline, and quiet determination. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate its depth, but looking back, I see how it shaped my understanding of leadership, responsibility, and humility required for the long, often thankless road to success.It’s the quiet, repeated actions—not the grand moments—that create them. The ones who win? They master the small things. Every. Single. Day.
📜⏳ A Poem from a Different Era, a Message for All Time
At its height, the British Empire ruled a quarter of the world’s landmass and nearly a fifth of its people. It shaped today's global trade, politics, and culture—but not through resilience. It was built on violence, manipulation, and power. Education sustained it.
Yet strip away the imperial context, and If— isn’t about conquest. It’s a brutally honest guide to self-mastery—humility in power, patience in chaos, endurance in failure.
The world has changed—instant communication, AI disruption, unpredictable markets—but resilience remains the real power. If— was never just a reflection of its time; it was a survival manual. Founders today aren’t building empires, they’re building futures. And for that, they need the same endurance, patience, and grit.
⭐️ The Lost Values That Startups Need Today
As the startup world has evolved, some of these values have been pushed aside in favour of the ‘0 to 1’ mentality at all costs and a level of entitlement that's out of reality. Consider what has been lost:
Patience & Perseverance → Replaced by Instant Gratification
"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..."
Today’s founders chase rapid traction, VC hype, and overnight exits. But real, lasting companies aren’t built in a quarter—they take years, through cycles of failure, adaptation, and persistence.
Integrity & Authenticity → Replaced by the Big Show
"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same..."
The startup world loves winners—but it also loves narratives. The problem? Founders feel pressure to craft a story of success before they’ve truly earned it. If— reminds us that success and failure are just moments in time. What matters is the work itself, not the external perception of it.
Sustainable Leadership → Replaced by Burnout Culture
"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’"
Founders are told to push through at all costs, but Kipling’s message isn’t to glorify self-destruction—it’s to master endurance without losing yourself in the process. Today, the best leaders don’t just grind; they know when to recharge, adapt, and delegate.
🦾🔥 Adapting for Founders
As I sat on the beach, reflecting on how startups really succeed, I realised something: If— wasn’t just a relic of the past—it was a playbook for founders today.
So I rewrote it…
If—For Founders
If you can dream—but not let dreams consume you,
If you can plan—but not let plans stand still,
If you can block the noise, the hype, the circus,
And do the hard stuff, even when it kills;
If you can trust yourself when all doubt you,
Yet take the time to test what might be true;
If you can wait when traction takes forever,
Or face rejection—yet not twist the truth:
If you can watch your product torn to pieces,
By market shifts that don’t seem fair,
And build again, without the fanfare,
Just grit, and care, and those who dare;
If you can bet it all upon your venture,
And lose—and yet rebuild without despair,
If you can work the long nights when it matters,
But know to rest before the well runs bare;
If you can guard your mind, your health, your balance,
And lead with strength that doesn’t burn away,
If you can take the hits, admit your failures,
And own them fully, come what may;
If you can scale but never fake momentum,
If failure stings but does not break your stride,
If partners, friends, or critics turn against you,
Yet you still stand, unshaken, full of pride;
If you can take each fleeting moment’s offer,
And squeeze from it the best that can be done,
Yours is the startup world and all that’s in it,
And—more than that—you’ll build for more than one.
🔬🏗️ Practical Execution: The Kaizen Approach for Founders
Resilience, patience, and self-mastery aren’t just virtues—they’re how things actually get built. Success doesn’t come from grand gestures; it comes from the small, unsexy disciplines that stack up over time. That’s where Kipling’s ethos meets Kaizen—the mindset of continuous improvement (改善).
1% Gains Over Grand Gestures
"If you can block the noise… and do the hard stuff, even when it kills."
→ Action: Audit your daily tasks. Prioritise one small, unsexy improvement each day (e.g., refining a customer onboarding email, simplifying a workflow).Boring Consistency = Big Wins
"Showing up every day makes the big stuff happen."
→ Action: Schedule dedicated ‘boring hours’ for critical but unglamorous work (e.g., financial reviews, team feedback sessions).Own the Process, Not Just the Outcome
"Being a founder is… about being uber disciplined (boring)."
→ Action: Keep a ‘1% Wins’ —track small improvements daily and celebrate how they compound.Kaizen Mindset: Adjust, Improve, Repeat
"Failure stings but does not break your stride."
→ Action: After every setback, ask: “What’s one small tweak we can make today?” Focus on the next micro-adjustment rather than dwelling on the failure.
⚡🔄 More Relevant Than Ever
In a time where social media rewards posturing over patience, and hype often wins over substance, If— serves as a quiet counterbalance. But this isn’t about rejecting visibility altogether—noise has its place, but only when it amplifies the right things. The real focus should be on celebrating the 1% gains that compound into real success—the small, smart decisions, the consistent effort, and the steady resilience that leads to genuine progress, rather than just the vanity headlines.
It's time we brought these values back into the founder mindset—Startup success isn’t built on hype—it’s built on 1% improvements that lead to massive wins. Want to master them? Join our community to get **it done.
If you have not joined the Fusion42 Community on Telegram — A space for Founders, Framers, and Funders who show up to get **it done,
it is probably time to do so.
For the ❤️ of Startups
Thank you for reading. If you liked it, share it with your friends, colleagues and everyone interested in the startup Investor ecosystem.
If you've got suggestions, an article, research, your tech stack, or a job listing you want featured, just let me know! I'm keen to include it in the upcoming edition.
Please let me know what you think of it, love a feedback loop 🙏🏼
🛑 Get a different job.
Subscribe below and follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter to never miss an update.
For the ❤️ of startups
✌🏼 & 💙
Derek