SAO PAULO -

“In long-distance running, the only opponent you can beat is yourself, the way you used to be.”

Haruki Murakami

I do not remember exactly when I started running - I just know that once I started, I never stopped. First there were the short and unplanned jogs. Then came longer training sessions, still without supervision or assistance. Over time, I started to enjoy it and decided there should be some form of routine - that was when I started training regularly, three to four times a week, until I reached my current average of 200 kilometers (125 miles) per month. 

After that, things got serious and I decided to start participating in contests - first came the 10k, then the 15k, and then a half marathon. This was despite the fact I had sworn to myself that I would never run a marathon. I thought the very idea was crazy, that it would be bad for my body.

As I prepared for my fourth marathon, which recently took place in Berlin, I was thinking about the associations between running and another activity I have been developing over the last few years - entrepreneurship. At first glance, there seems to be no connection, but the more I run, the more similarities I see with the discipline and focus needed to develop an idea, turn it into products, form a team, structure a company, and drive its growth. A new venture - like running - demands persistence, focus, resilience, and adaptation to changes, as well as breaking out of inertia, overcoming setbacks, crossing obstacles, and having a long-term vision. If one has a habit of participating in sports, it brings enormous support to both personal and professional endeavors. Getting started is also easier than it appears.

Whether one is trying to take up running or start a new venture, the most difficult part is to ov