Did anyone predict that a substitute player would win the World Cup 2014 for Germany and that too against the team that has the worlds most branded player.   If this subsitutute player was not brought in at the 88th minnute of the game, would the game go into penalty kicks? And who would have won if penalty kicks was the sole determinant of the outcome? Penalty kicks are more about individual performance and not teamwork. 

At the end it is all about the psychological confidence, teamwork and quick strategic decisions taken at critical moments that makes a winner in this sport.  Startups are no different. When a company is starting out, there are more often than not, other branded players operating in their space with experienced management. However what differentiates a successful startup from those that are not so successful is the psychological confidence, trust and teamwork of the team in executing rapidly, and the critical strategic calls - what should the product positioning be, what should the approach be, who are the key hires, etc. Great companies are created by ordinary people doing extraordinary things together under the right leadership. A well functioning team can achieve a lot more than individual prima donnas in a team that is not gelling well together. And branded/experienced individuals are not necessarily the winning formula in creating winning companies. Inexperienced passionate smart individuals can create entrepreneurial magic as has been witnessed time and again with first time entrepreneur success worldwide.

Football and other team sports are a good teacher of lessons in entrepreneurship!