I used to take every problem personally.
Laid off during the worst period of my life? → Must be me. Burned out twice? → My fault. A close friend disappearing? → What did I do wrong?
I defaulted to blame. Always inward. Even while telling others never blame your people.
But here's the hard truth I learned the painful way: 95% of problems are systemic.
The system shapes outcomes more than any individual effort. You can't outrun broken processes. Toxic incentives. Or unclear ownership. It's like sprinting uphill on a broken treadmill. Burning energy, going nowhere.
The reality: → Top performer + broken system = underperform → Average performer + strong system = thrive
So you have 3 choices:
1️⃣ Stay in the system and break with it 2️⃣ Find an untamed niche inside it 3️⃣ Leave the system and build your own
Founders, if you hit the same walls, stop blaming yourself. Fix the system. Or get out of it.