Ben Horowitz to founders: your worst doubts are self-inflicted, and fear means you're doing it right
a16z · x · 2026-10-25
a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz shared advice for early-stage founders in a conversation with a16z speedrun GP Andrew Chen:
- Your job is to make the bet pay off: you'll question your belief many times, but questioning gets you nothing.
- The worst doubts are self-inflicted: he recalls a 22-year-old Mark Zuckerberg having tremendous doubt about whether he'd make it — every entrepreneur has these doubts; ignore them.
- Fear is a signal you're on track: "It's not what you feel. It's what you do. If your guts aren't boiling, you're not even trying."
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