There are endless metaphors for starting and running a business, and I’d like to throw another one in the pile: pinball.
Yes, that game that older millennials like myself, along with gen Xers and baby boomers grew up playing in arcades, pizza parlors and movie theaters can be tied to entrepreneurship.
Here it goes: You have your startup funding that you invest in the business/game. You launch (works for both here). Then it’s all about balancing the ball, or business, while facing many obstacles and distractions — bumpers and ramps can be thought of as employees and competitors.
Letting your ball fall to the bottom three times means you’re out of business and have to launch again. A nice thing about both business and pinball: you can try again at both, provided you have the money and passion.
Don’t just take my word for it. Jody Dankberg, director of marketing and licensing of Stern Pinball, the 30-year-old company that recently unveiled machines featuring Aerosmith and the ’60s version of Batman, agrees with me.
“A really good pinball player can…