Arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, Rafael Nadal is known for definitive rituals he practices on the court. Spectators deem jumping while taking off his jacket and squeezing his energy gel exactly four times as superstitious to which he responds: “It’s a way of placing myself in a match, ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head.”
The way Nadal places himself in matches is characteristic of entrepreneurs explaining futures that don’t yet exist. It’s how Brittany Hodak and Kim Kaupe created the ZinePak and 19 year old FlightCar founders started the first car sharing platform for travelers. Author and venture capitalist, Greg Horowitt emphasized this hopeful trait as the telling point of founders building an active startup community in San Diego.
Katie Rast, Director of FabLab San Diego and Maker’s Movement pioneer, echoed the sentiment at #GoSanDiego by calling citizens to build a city that they’re proud of; Affirming that by truly grasping our capability to create we can bring the stories that excite us to life.
The growth of San Diego’s startup community will be dependent on direct action from makers to create a unique identity, rather than attempting to copy Silicon Valley. As Horowitt explained – the smartest individuals find knowledge in doing and just as Nadal has defined his rituals, we too can dictate the identity that distinguishes us.
Photo retrieved from The Telegraph.