What is your leverage?

"Give me a place to stand and I will move the Earth" - said Archimedes to King Hiero of Syracuse.

Archimedes was trying to present the concept of "leverage" and moving the Earth was a great way to do it.

When you start a venture, it is important to be clear about what your leverage is - and play to it.

Most middle-class, well-educated entrepreneurs typically dont have the leverage of land, political connections or even cash - to be able to play the game with those as the key starting premises. The only leverage they have is their "smarts", their credibility in their social circle and their ability to work hard.

When you meet people of different backgrounds, you notice that some of them have very different leverages: a significant last name, acres of prime property, government relationships, a very comfortable bank balance etc.
In some cases, people act as if they have some of these - while in fact they don't.

You also notice that their approach to any opportunity is very different from yours. And that's because their leverages are different. They do not need to do the same things a middle-class guy has to do in order to capitalise on an opportunity.

So, here's my view: Identify your leverage. Play to your leverage. Do not try to copy or ape other people's behaviour because they will have leverages very different from yours (and in some cases, they might just be acting!)

Your leverage will change over time. When you are a 1-man startup, its just you and your background and your contacts. Over time, its your product, your team, your investors, your customers. Over time, its a "system" that exists in your company - and therefore your ability to make a large impact changes.
This is also the time to be careful. Every small movement you make has a very high change impact on the organisation.

It's like Archimedes finding a place to stand (finally!) and a lever long enough - and therefore being able to move the Earth!