In sports there are a number of exceptional talents who win big early. Switzerland is proud to have after a number of dire years again ski super stars in the beautiful and gifted Lara Gut or the brilliant Carlo Janka. But the season’s dominators are trusted names such as Aksel Lund Svindal, Didier Cuche, Didier Defago or Benjamin Raich. They’re part of the ski world cup for a number of years already.
This weekend was the Alpine World Cup final in Are. Aksel Svindal won the big crystal globe. It’s Aksel’s second globe after 2007. And he’s a top league skier since at least the 2002 junior World Cup Championships.
The small crystal globe for best Giant Slalom skier went to Didier Cuche. He’s in the World Cup for even longer since his phenomenal win of the Hahnenkamm downhill race in Kitzbühl back in 1998 (he won again in 2008).
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Watching the races I was reminded of some comments during the World Championship in Val d’Isère. Time and time again the commentators spoke of the missing championship experience of the younger athletes, implying somehow that this lack of experience is negatively correlated with their chances to win big.
Why?
It might be pressure; knowing this is the World Championships, so Mom, Dad, the family and the entire home town watching, it might be a slightly different race procedure, and so on. And suddenly the cool from previous races is gone, giving way to nervousness. A little glitch here and 10 hundredths of a second are gone, so is a medal rank.
Sure also experienced athletes produce such hiccups. But less. Experience matters.
Experience is not a given. It’s rather something like time times exposure.
E = T*Ex
Experience equals Time multiplied with Exposure (1).
Some say, and I agree, that you need to spend 10’000 hours to become really good at something. Yet, spending 10’000 hours training the Hahnenkamm downhill race will not guarantee you a win, probably not even a rank in the top 10. The race day is something quite different. So there is a second element: Exposure. Exposure to the actual race atmosphere. You need that feel of the heartbeat accelerating, the crowds cheering, the lore of the real thing. Irreplaceable.
The same applies when building a business.
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(1) The equation has some particular specifics. The equation is not a one off. It’s the sum of what you’ve done so far. Early exposure will increase your experience and will give you an edge. If you are late to the game you’ll have a hard time unless you manage a lot of exposure in a relatively short time. A lot of exposure to different situations over a (hopefully) compact span of life will prepare you well for your challenge.
(2) (c) & Source: Flickr / Blog sportif française
