While I was in Hong Kong last year, I got a beautiful gift that had deep symbolism: a small fish sculpture on a necklace.

What I was told stuck with me. It rings true from my experience:

Entrepreneurs are like fish. They seem to weave from side to side, but they’re propelling themselves forward. They find the invisible currents, the path of least resistance. And they always carry a surplus.

My weaving path, course-corrections, experiments and forays have often moved me forward in unpredictable ways. Like a lot of founders I know, I try to be attuned to trends and opportunities that others don’t see. And in spite of my multiple failures, I’ve always found a fall-back and lived to fight another day.

The simile also gives me a sense of identity and belonging. It’s nice to think that under The Scorpion and The Frog, and a long way from Animal Farm, we fish are swimming along, doing our own thing.