Going solo is still a team sport
When building something outside of sport, plenty of athletes tell us "I'm doing it on my own."
Maybe they want the independence, the freedom, the ownership or the control.
But somewhere along the way, "doing it yourself" becomes "doing everything yourself."
That's not the best way of doing it.
Watching Alexander Zverev after the Wimbledon final reminded me of that.
Having just lost to Jannik Sinner for the ninth consecutive time, he congratulated Sinner's team. Not just Jannick himeself. Everyone in the player's box.
"You've done all the right things."
Tennis is an individual sport.
Yet Zverev's explanation for why Sinner keeps winning was the people around him.
The coach.
The physio.
The schedule.
The training blocks.
The recovery.
The analysis.
Success looks individual, but it's not.
Building something on your own is remarkably similar.
The people who struggle most are often the ones trying to do everything themselves.
Marketing. Sales. Finance. Operations. Product. Customer service. All decision making.
Technically, they're independent.
But they're also isolated.
The people who build the best businesses build the right team around them.
Whether that's employees, advisers, mentors, peers or specialists they trust, the point is the same.
Building something of your own doesn't have to be a solo sport.
If you're trying to build your next chapter alongside your sporting career, own the vision and build the team.
You'll almost always go further.
