The Strange Truth: The One Who Tries Gets Judged. The One Who Does Nothing Gets Left Alone.


I sometimes feel doing nothing is better.

Not because I believe it.
But because I’ve seen what happens to people who try.

The one who experiments, takes a risk, works hard, and still fails — he doesn’t just fail.

He gets judged.

He gets advice he didn’t ask for.
He gets compared.
Sometimes, he even gets insulted.

But the one who does nothing?

He escapes all of it.

No one questions him.
No one analyses him.
No one talks about him.

And slowly, a thought starts forming inside.

Maybe staying idle is safer.

Again — I’m not saying I believe this.

But I’ve felt this.

Because in the real world, effort is visible. Failure is visible.
And visibility attracts opinions.

There is an interesting observation in behavioural studies called the “spotlight effect” — people who step out and act feel like the world is watching them more than it actually is. But even if that effect is exaggerated, one part is true.

When you try, you become visible.
And when you become visible, you become vulnerable.

That’s the price of action.

If you look at entrepreneurship, this becomes even sharper.

A person who starts something and fails is discussed more than someone who never started.

We don’t analyse the silent majority.
We analyse the ones who moved.

Take any failed startup founder. The story doesn’t end with just “it didn’t work.”

It becomes —
“What went wrong?”
“Why didn’t he think properly?”
“I would have done it differently.”

But no one asks that about someone who never tried.

That silence is not appreciation.
It’s just absence of attention.

Even in history, this pattern is clear.

People remember bold failures more than silent non-attempts.

Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before the light bulb worked. But imagine if he had stopped after a few attempts.

He wouldn’t have been criticised.
He would have been forgotten.

That’s the difference.

Trying exposes you.
Not trying hides you.

And hiding feels peaceful.

But only on the surface.

Because there is another side to this.

The people who try and fail may face noise outside.
But they are at least moving inside.

The ones who do nothing may avoid noise outside.
But inside, over time, there is a different kind of discomfort.

A question that doesn’t go away:

“What if I had tried?”

That question is silent.
But heavy.

So when I say I sometimes feel like doing nothing is better, it is not a conclusion.

It is a moment.

A reflection of what I’ve seen.

But I also know this.

The world may judge the ones who try.
But life quietly moves with them.

And the ones who stay idle may escape judgment.
But they also escape growth.

So maybe the answer is not to stop trying.

Maybe the answer is to accept one truth clearly:

If you choose to try,
you are also choosing to be misunderstood at times.

And that’s not failure.

That’s the cost of being visible.

The “Common Enemy Effect” in Founder Relationships


The common enemy effect is a powerful social phenomenon: people unite strongly when they share a common threat. We often see it in military units, sports teams, and political movements — and it’s equally true for founders and startup teams.


Phase 1: The early struggle

When founders start out, they face huge external threats:

  • Market rejection
  • Cash burn
  • Pressure to prove themselves
  • Family or societal doubt

Their common enemy is failure itself. This shared threat aligns them deeply. There’s no time for ego; decisions are fast and collective. Emotional support is strong. They feel like warriors in the same trench.


Phase 2: Early wins and success

Then comes funding, product traction, revenue, or media buzz. Suddenly, the “enemy” that held them together begins to fade.

Without that shared fight, founders start:

  • Claiming credit individually
  • Listening to “proxy teams” or external voices that inflate egos
  • Pushing personal agendas

The urgent need to survive is gone, so the cracks appear.


Phase 3: Gaps widen

When the common threat disappears:

  • Misaligned visions surface
  • Egos grow
  • Trust erodes
  • Silent power struggles begin

The same founders who once pulled all-nighters together may now fight over direction, credit, or influence.


Lessons from research

✅ Ben Horowitz (The Hard Thing About Hard Things): In crises, teams unite; in safety, they splinter.
✅ Patrick Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team): Without a shared mission, conflict thrives.
✅ Harvard Business Review: “Shared existential threats unify.” New shared missions are critical as you grow.
✅ Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner): Strong group identity often needs an external “enemy” to stay focused.


What can founders do?

  • Constantly define new “enemies” or big missions (new markets, innovations, tougher impact goals).
  • Regularly revisit and realign personal and collective visions.
  • Watch out for external influences that inflate individual egos.
  • Build a culture where mission > individuals, always.

In short

What unites founders at first? A common enemy (failure, survival).
What causes splits later? The enemy fades, egos rise.
What’s the fix? Keep creating new shared battles to stay united.