The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend is the big day of the year for motorsports fans – the storied Monaco Grand Prix early, then the Indy 500 (100^th running this year), and for the nightcap NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

This year all three races were unusually entertaining and blessed with good weather.  To feel like I accomplished something while overdosing on these events, I decided to draw five analogies to entrepreneurship:

1. Get your business to the finish line.  Startups can be exhilarating, but it’s darn nice to get your business to the checkered flag.  Something good can always happen to you if you’re still in the race when the finish is at hand.  Look at Vettel on far-overextended tires about to be chased down by Hamilton and Button with about 7 laps to go when Petrov’s injury crash brought out the red flag and allowed for tire changes.  A remote event preserved a victory for Vettel and his Red Bull team.   Then there was heartbreak at Indy when rookie driver J. R. Hildebrand was well in front but put a bit too much adrenalin into the very last turn before the finish and crashed into the wall.  Veteran Dan Wheldon sailed by for the win, and Hildebrand had enough momentum that his wreckage slid across in second.  Wheldon put himself right where he needed to be when the door opened.  And, finally, Little E had it all won at Charlotte when he ran out of gas on the last lap and let Kevin Harvick claim the prize.  (I know gas is really expensive, but…).
2. Your venture is no better than its weakest link.  One of Roger Penske’s drivers Will Power (always liked that name), was victim of a pit crew error on lap 24 when he was released before the left rear wheel was properly attached and proceeded to travel on its own down the pit lane.  There was a lap lost by the tire man on that corner of the car, and no chance of recovering.  As you know, most large companies have adopted practices of over-measuring front-line service delivery, to the point of annoyance, but as entrepreneurs we don’t have that ability.  We’ve always got to be ready to deal with that “loose nut” that keeps us from the goal.
3. On the other hand, talent at the top can make all the difference.  Formula 1 is a collection of automotive technology that exceeds any other motorsport, with bigger budgets and far more exotica.  Yet, the man in the cockpit still makes the difference.  Sebastian Vettel has won 5 of the 6 races this year, and his teammate Mark Webber, with presumably identical equipment, sits in 3^rd place in the driver standings.  Vettel continues to show he can get the victories in a sport where thousandths of a second can be the margin of success. 
4. In the worldwide market there is room for more than one gigantic motorsports venue.  We’ve grown accustomed to dominant tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook, but there are big audiences out there for other big ideas as well.  Not all the racing fans have the same tastes, and there are countless classes, including motorcycles, that I haven’t even mentioned.  People still make a living and have fun at the venerable Dixie Speedway dirt track in Woodstock, GA.  (This one deserves a link for full appreciation.)  You can make a lot of money and build a great business without conquering all.
5. Run to win.  Since you’re choosing to be an entrepreneur, learn the joy of “running up front” and not being a back marker.  Auto racers will tell you that practice is a lot more fun, and more profitable.  Don’t content yourself to just be on the track and cruise around at the back.  It’s probably more dangerous there than at the front where the skill levels and motivations are higher.  So, go for it and put in place the team, the systems, and the attitude that gets you to the finish line first in whatever classification you've chosen to compete.

<photo of Monaco 1930 poster that you may have seen on the wall of the TechDrawl Cave at the ATDC>