Debunking Myths of Entrepreneurship A startup is not a "doll house" version of a larger enterprise. Its a human institution trying to start something new under extreme conditions of uncertainty, says author Eric Ries. Its not that some founders have better ideas than others, and this is what dictates success. What differentiates a successfully launched enterprise is one who can unearth the best ideas under duress - those who can find "the pivot"- the point of reinvention when they realize that their original ideas need retooling. And, more critically, that they can find their market before they run out of money.