Recently, I’ve noticed a growing trend in the startup world: building a company on the side. Whether it’s alongside a full-time job, university studies, or a freelance career, it’s certainly a practical strategy—especially for those with families, children, or a preference for minimizing risk. I completely agree that before quitting your job, you should have a basic MVP, some paying customers, or initial investor interest. However, there’s a catch. I believe that going all in significantly increases your chances of success compared to playing it safe. The reasoning is straightforward: imagine your initial product — a reflection of your idea — doesn’t perform well. If you’re building your business as a side hustle, you might iterate once or twice, but it’s unlikely you’ll commit the time and energy needed for a major pivot. After all, there’s no real urgency; if this idea fails, you can simply move on to the next. In contrast, a founder who goes all in doesn’t have that luxury. They’re forced to think deeply and creatively about how to make the idea work because their success depends on it. This level of focus and determination can often make the difference between failure and a breakthrough.

A great example is YouTube. Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim left their jobs at PayPal to focus entirely on building the platform. Initially conceived as a dating site, YouTube’s concept was simple: users would upload short videos introducing themselves and describing what they were looking for in a partner. To jumpstart the idea, the founders even offered $20 on Craigslist to women willing to post dating videos. However, realizing the limitations of this approach, they decided to pivot and open the platform to all types of videos. By April 2005, YouTube saw its first official upload—Jawed Karim’s Me at the Zoo. The platform quickly gained traction, leading to its acquisition by Google for $1.65 billion in stock. Their willingness to take risks and adapt turned YouTube into one of the most successful ventures in history.

Would their story have been successful if they had kept their jobs? No. They likely would have given up quickly — frustrated, disappointed, and disheartened by initial failures. That’s the beauty of going all in: you persevere, adapt, and tackle challenges head-on. You iterate, innovate, and keep building — relentlessly, until it works.

Another example is Elon Musk and SpaceX: The story of Elon Musk and SpaceX’s fourth Falcon 1 launch is a remarkable tale of resilience, vision, and taking extraordinary risks. By 2008, SpaceX had faced three consecutive failures in its attempts to launch the Falcon 1 rocket. Each failure was a crushing blow not just to the company’s finances but also to its morale. SpaceX was on the verge of bankruptcy, and Elon Musk was personally running out of money after pouring much of his own fortune into the venture. The fourth launch was make-or-break: if it failed, SpaceX would likely collapse. When Falcon 1 lifted off from Omelek Island, everyone held their breath. This time, the rocket performed flawlessly. It reached orbit, making SpaceX the first privately funded company to achieve this milestone with a liquid-fueled rocket. Elon Musk’s determination and willingness to risk everything for his vision were central to this success.

It’s an extreme example, but true greatness doesn’t come from doing things on the side. If your goal is to build a small, sustainable company, working on it part-time can be an excellent way to balance risk and responsibilities. However, for those with bigger ambitions, go all in. Take the leap. Embrace failure. Try again. You only need to succeed once. That’s the beauty of going all in: survival becomes non-negotiable. And it’s that relentless drive to survive that makes success possible.