They say that 20% of all businesses fail within the first two years. Around half of them make it to year five. Over 65% of companies don’t survive for a decade in business. That’s why we at HYPERFLY are celebrating this year, 2021.
Since 2011 we have been on a journey to create the best jiu-jitsu gis, grappling gear, and combat sportswear in the world. After a decade of ups and downs, trials and challenges, we have proudly made it to the 10 year mark!
The last 10 years have been filled with rewarding new relationships, nerve-racking risks and challenges, and a whole lot of learning. But just like in jiu-jitsu, the most rewarding aspect of building HYPERFLY has been the process itself. Like the great American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “it’s about the journey, not the destination.”
It takes a martial artist roughly 10 years to achieve the black belt in jiu-jitsu. And much like the process of becoming a skilled and refined martial artist, the process of building a successful company is powerfully similar.
The white belts years are filled with clumsy mistakes, humbling ego checks, and a mix of fear and excitement for the unknown future. It’s easy to see why 20% don’t make it out of the first year.
The blue belt years are make or break. It’s where the pieces start to come together but the fight for survival is a daily test - sink or swim as they say. Along with this comes the realization that expertise will demand years of dedicated commitment with countless bumps and bruises along the way.
Roughly five years in, half of businesses fail to exist, and if you look around the training room, it’s likely that half of those who started won’t make it to purple belt. But the purple belt is where the fun starts. It’s where confidence is built and the focus switches from survival and fundamentals to strategy and tactics. It’s also understood that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ There’s more learning, more training, more to achieve.
At brown belt the field has become even smaller. At this level attacks are more calculated, no time is wasted on the ineffective, and there’s less to prove. The maturity that comes with almost a decade in the trenches opens new doors. But so does the wisdom to stay in your lane and resist chasing the next shiny object. Things are moving forward, but there is still work to be done.
Then one day, the black belt. Many who have received theirs say that is when the real journey begins. The colored belts were the practice for the ultimate challenge of living like a martial arts master.
That is where we are now at HYPERFLY. The first ten years prepared us to compete at a new level. All of the mistakes, challenges, and changes were there to ready us for a bigger stage. A stage where we can truly have valuable impact.
That’s why as excited as we are for the future, we will always take with us those lessons from the last 10 years. Join us over the next few weeks as we look back at 10 years of HYPERFLY, and our journey through the world of BJJ, grappling, and combat sports.
