Go Together

Life isn’t meant to be done alone. There’s a reason marriage, family, and friendship are pillars of what human society has built itself. From an individual family to a community, to a city, to a country, to the world, the groupings we connect and surround ourselves with give us the sense of belonging humans desire. Even with thousands of years of history, of togetherness, or native instinct, some people still think they should operate as lone wolves, as lone rangers—alone.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is a simple saying about community and the impact it has.

Acting alone you are the decision maker, you don’t have to worry about a bureaucracy or hierarchy for decisions. You can act and do based on your own intuition and ability. Where you can go, you go. You don’t worry about the opinions of others, you are guiding the ship. This lack of dependence leads to a lack of deliberation which leads to more prompt action. You can be fast when you are alone.

If you want to sacrifice speed for the actual destination, the journey of life must be done together. When you act in partnership, in connection, in relationship, and in sync with others, you can uplift the whole operation. Healthy competition between those who are working together for the same goal brings out the best in everyone. Working together lends the skills, brains, and power of multiple people and makes them one. The collaboration of others brings all of the puzzle pieces together. By working together you’re no longer an individual piece of the pie with no guidance, direction, or assistance. You become the whole pie with your teammates and those around you.

This principle shows itself clearly in the world of entrepreneurship. If you start a company and you’re the only employee, you didn’t become an entrepreneur, you just found another job. Except in this case, you have no safety net. When you don’t work, you don’t get paid. If you want to scale, optimize, or iterate, all responsibility falls onto you. This “solopreneur” mindset increases the amount of risk you take on while also increasing the amount of responsibility you must have. Instead of committing to the path of a “solopreneur” work with others. Start a business or chase a passion with those already in your network. Instead of only relying on yourself, you have others who can support you. Working alone may have been faster to start operating, but it’s through operating in unison with others that you will reach the faraway destination you seek.

Move fast alone. Move far together.