From the Journey · Lessons from failure

What my first failure taught me

The business that stalled when I stepped away became the most valuable lesson of my career.

Rakesh Sharma· 4 min read

Every entrepreneur has a story they would rather not tell. Mine is about a business that depended entirely on me.

When I stepped back, it stalled. At the time it felt like a defeat. Looking back, it was the moment I understood the difference between a company and an institution.

Since then, I have tried to build everything so that it can run without me: clear decisions, shared ownership and people who are trusted to lead.