In the book Tribes, Seth Godin states “Fear of failure is overrated”. He goes on to say “What people are afraid of isn’t failure. It’s blame. Criticism.” and that “We choose not to be remarkable because of criticism.”
I think he’s right and that the challenge for entrepreneurs may often be acknowledging the fear but not allowing it to rule us. Deciding that something we believe in, are convinced of and passionate about is worth the risk of being criticized, even of the possibility of failing.
As Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” Or put another way “No guts, no glory.”