“We’re world famous for being humble“: That’s how I used to portray MySQL AB for the press and for our user community. Humility and ambition is a great combination to rely upon when building a business, and when running long-distance. With Stockholm Marathon coming up in just a matter of days, here’s my take on what you can learn from running when founding an IT startup.

As an illustration of the similarity of business endurance with running stamina, I’m taking the Seven Steps of Runnism. Runnism is the Religion of Running, which I’m establishing with a combination of humour and seriousness. Yes, it has its own Twitter ID, its Facebook page, its web site, and its YouTube introductory video (and video explanation of the Seven Steps). And if you think the humble ambition of founding a world religion qualifies for proclaiming me insane, then I won’t argue with you.

Picture yourself running the Stockholm marathon (on the right, that’s me running my first Stockholm marathon in 2000). You’re well trained. At km 25, you’re not dead tired as you haven’t run into The Wall. You’re enjoying yourself. The crowd is cheering. The drums keep you running faster than you’d believed. You manage the high Västerbron bridge without walking, much less puking. The last 5-10 km, you will at times rely on sheer will power. When entering the Olympic Stadium, you’ve forgotten how tired you are. More crowds cheering! More music! Your name is publicly listed! You finish with a new personal record, exhausted but happy to have reached your goal.

How can we transport this picture into business? Your goal may be a public listing or a trade sale, or it may simply be a successful launch of a new Web 2.0 offering. The values that take you to your goal are similar in running and in business.

Let’s take a look at the Seven Steps, Runnism’s core beliefs:

1. A true Runnist lives life to the fullest. Running makes for a more profound life, a deeper understanding of yourself. So does establishing a new company. Had I not run a couple of marathons or established a couple of companies, I would have missed out on a lot of what makes life worth living.
2. A true Runnist values long-term health. Without long-term financial health, you’re unlikely to see credible value in a company. Sure, you can sacrifice long-term health and perhaps finish a race quicker. But why do you run? Hopefully not just to brag about your finish time. The analogy to a trade sale or an IPO should be apparent: You’re hopefully caring for your long-term reputation in the industry.
3. A true Runnist understands well-being doesn’t come without sacrifice. You cannot drink, eat or stay awake without certain constraints. You might even experience some initial resistance from your inner self, before running is second nature to you. To succeed in business, you’ll also need to focus, focus, focus. Say no. During hectic phases, there may be time for nothing more than your business.
4. A true Runnist competes only against his or her earlier self. Few of us think “I can do better than Larry Ellison”, or Haile Gebrselassie. And you don’t need to. Focus primarily on your own performance. And when running, unless you’re Haile, never mind the competition. In business, though, keep an eye on the competition; the Fourth Step doesn’t fully apply to business.
5. A true Runnist improves gradually, not overnight. Incremental improvement rules in running and in business alike! Small steps accumulate. You may at times progress quicker, and occasionally find a plateau. Expecting instant success will lead to disappointment, getting out of business, heading back for the couch.
6. A true Runnist may occasionally feel pain but seldom suffers. You may get a sore on your foot. You may even fall. Yet, if you listen to your body and don’t overdo it, those small nuisances are far overshadowed by the happiness endorphines. Similarly, non-entrepreneur friends may overinterpret the difficulties you occasionally go through in business.
7. A true Runnist sees running as a gift, not a burden. “Why on earth do you run, out of your own free will?” — I had a bit of that reasoning before becoming a runner. Nowadays, I reward myself for a job well done, by going out for a run, whatever the weather. In business, you’re also hardly likely to succeed if you see your job as a burden. Enjoy running! Enjoy your web startup!

Inspired to go out for a run, or would you prefer to work on your a Web 2.0 business? No need to choose. You can do both. Runners get more endurance for long-term undertakings, so worshipping physical well-being goes hand in hand with building business.

And, are you running the Stockholm Marathon 2010? Lucky you, if you are! When I wanted to register, it was too late. So this year, I’m missing a big, early-June Scandinavian, Interactive Media Event with over 20.000 highly energetic participants. But I’ll be sure to register in time for the slightly smaller event in November.

Links:

• Stockholm Marathon: http://www.stockholmmarathon.se/
• Runnism in Facebook: http://facebook.com/Runnism
• Runnism on Twitter: http://twitter.com/runnism
• Runnism.com: http://www.runnism.com/
• Runnism introductory video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW5AuSEUbMw
• The Seven Steps of Runnism explained: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKqv5reXONw