All’s Fair ‘In the Arena’
You’ve probably heard that you’re better off asking forgiveness than permission.
That can be true enough. If you’re a tech start-up breaking new ground, stopping for permission might mean sudden death. Same if you’re a linebacker, an ER surgeon, an undercover cop. If your day job is stopping terrorists or clearing insurgents out of a bombed-out neighborhood, then yeah, you’ve no time for manners.
While it gets dicey, there are times when that adage applies at home.
If you’re a business owner in California or crooked Chicago, where nothing’s safe, nothing’s enforced, and the only tax dollars at work are a union bureaucrat rolling out more red tape—or a politico telling you to play nice with the smash-and-grabbies—you’d be forgiven for cutting corners to survive.
But cutting every corner and thinking there’s nothing wrong with it is something else. If everyone’s cheating, and if no one’s even hobbling toward honesty like a drunk walking home, we’ve got a bigger problem.
To this point (and trust me, I’ve got more to say), if I see one more person shrug off their sleazy dealings with ‘well, I was in the arena trying stuff…’ you might find me oiling my gun.
Writing from Texas, in case you forgot.
Memes of the day
Which Way?
If no one’s asking permission because permission’s not even a thing, then all bets are off—and in that scenario, forgiveness isn’t a thing either. Going full dog eat dog means we’re in a whole new, and yet much older system—one commonly seen in countries with rampant corruption, no infrastructure, and everyone hiring their first cousin.
What makes our country and financial system stand out is cooperation. At the end of the day, we trust each other. Credit, savings, financial investments, and the banking institutions that allow those things, are protected and reliable. Risk is risk, but it can very well pay off.
At least, that’s the general idea.
So when venture capitalists like the so-called SPAC King scam people with a pump and dump, and then casually boast about it on social media, there’s a question at hand.
What kind of system do we want?
One where honesty, responsibility, and hell, asking permission still apply? One where banks, journalists, crypto titans, public health officials, and even sons of presidents know what not to do—or at least restrain themselves because they know they won’t get away with it?
Or one where cheating people and gloating about it gets a pass because it’s part of the hustle?
If Teddy Roosevelt (that ‘in the arena’ catchphrase is from one of his speeches) were still President, I think we’d see the Chamath Palihapitiyas or Sam Banmkan-Friends punished in colorful ways.
As far as lending, credit, and trusting each other go, we need man-to-man honesty. We need the kind of transparency and hard conversations that forge a relationship. Plus, with the storm clouds gathering (last I checked, CRE is in freefall, credit and lending are as tight as ever, and the S & P just downgraded our banks) this is no time for playing fast and loose with each other’s trust.
Trust me, we’re in the arena all right; we’re in it up to our eyeballs.
But that should leave us with no excuses.
It’s All in the Journey
The way we see it, the journey only sharpens you. But that sharpening takes honesty, courage, and the willingness to learn a hard lesson when the two-by-four comes around.
Unlike some, we’re OK with that.
We think courage and honesty come from facing those lessons. From having the freedom to learn them in the first place—and having learned them, succeed.
That’s why Dare Capital offers Back Room Service for investors looking for a white label fund.
Partnering with Dare means:
- Greater income (a lot more)
- Owning assets instead of commissions
- Zero investment down
- No personal liability
- Fifty-fifty split on risks and profits
If that’s not in the arena, we don’t know what it is.
Give us a call and let’s talk about it.
Until next time,