Starting a Business Can Be Like, Well, So Many Things
A web search for “Starting a business is like” turned up dozens of results that left me scratching my head.
Sporty analogies.
Based on what’s online, I figured out that some people really like sports metaphors:
I encountered lines like “starting a business is like a football game” and “launching a business is like skateboarding in a half pipe” as well as “starting a business is like a prizefight” and “starting a business is like bowling for the first time.”
Some sports comparisons baffled me, though, such as “starting a business is like running a race against time.” I’m not sure I understand the business parallel with time as the competitor (as opposed to a real-life rival).
Then there are the personal challenge metaphors: A blogger could always say, “Starting a business is like climbing a mountain” or if he is up to it, “How Starting a Company is Like Climbing Everest.” Or better yet, as Kevin Fleming pointed out “Starting a business is like attempting to climb up a mountain during a hurricane,” which tempts me to ask what he does to relax.