What aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from the Philadelphia 76ers

Criticism

The Sixers had their fair share of critics, and if you are to own your own business, you may face negative speech as well.

Campbell lists her third stage as “you will lose relationships,” fourth as “people will discourage you,” and fifth as “you will be hated for no reason.”

To me, these stages all involve some kind of negativity harvesting in your relationships.

Numerically, the Sixers lost several relationships during the “process” in terms of attendance. According to ESPN, out of 30 NBA teams, the Sixers were 29th, 30th and 28th in attendance across the years 2014-16.

Personally, I remember several nights where the Wells Fargo Center looked empty. The casual fan lost interest with the Sixers during the down years of the “process” era.

Just as an entrepreneur may need to cut off from their inner circle in order to ascend towards success, the Sixers inevitably needed to struggle (and thus, lose relationships along the way) to become the championship contender it is today.

The Sixers were no strangers to being “discouraged” and “hated.” Perhaps this video from VoteTheProcess summarizes it best.

Several media members publicly questioned the Sixers “process” and if was the ethical way to construct a championship contender. If you are to do something bold (such as overhaul a pro-sports franchise or start a business), you will face criticism.

A quote from Campbell that resonated with me under her fourth stage read “work quietly and let your success do the talking.”

In my opinion, this screams of former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie. Amidst all the fire thrown his way, Hinkie remained quiet and out of the limelight most of the time.

I’d say his success is doing the talking nowadays.