Counterintuitive Truth: Luck Is Only Useful If You’re Ready for It

The paths to startup success are lined with stories of luck—sometimes eerily so. But what stands out, when you dig deep, is that opportunity only matters if you’re prepared to see and seize it. Behavioral economist Richard Wiseman famously studied luck, finding that 'lucky' people practice open-minded attention: they’re more likely to spot, write down, and act on unexpected opportunities than their 'unlucky' peers. At Excite, for example, funding and breakthroughs came through bizarre chains—accidental introductions, contracts born from random conversations, unlikely investors.

The founders of multiple legendary companies kept logs (sometimes mental, sometimes literal) of chance encounters—a lunch that led to a connection, a small meeting that went nowhere but sparked an idea. Rather than brush these moments aside, they leaned in gently, treating each as a test, not a make-or-break commitment. By experimenting and learning, even from apparent failures, they readied themselves for the moment when true luck arrived. Importantly, rare is the person or team for whom luck arrives if they’re not prepared; you can’t cash in good fortune if you never see it.

To start milking luck for all it’s worth, keep a visible record of new connections, chance offers, or wild-card opportunities that come your way. Don’t overcommit at first—treat each as a low-stakes experiment to see where it leads. No matter how it turns out, document what happened and what you learned. Invite your friends or team to do the same, and you’ll create a net that catches lucky breaks others miss. Try this habit for a month and notice the difference.