.: The First Step... Soon :.

If you are as hooked to Draw Something as I am, then here’s the story behind it.

Here's Charles. A month ago he was set to close his business. This week, he sold... it for $180 million. That's why he's smiling...

After six years trying to figure out how to make games on the iPhone, Charles Forman was about to give up, with his company, Omgpop, set to run out of money by this May. Things changes three days ago. He said in an interview with the New York Times on Monday “I had $1,700 in my bank account yesterday, and now I have a whole lot more.”

So what changed? After 35 attempts at making games that would be successful, the Omgpop team finally found a hit at the beginning of February. The game, called “Draw Something” is like Pictionary for the iPhone. Since it launched on Feb 6th, it has been downloaded 35 million times. It caught the attention of Zynga, the game company behind Farmville and other Facebook game hits. A month after the game launched, Zynga just bought Omgpop from Charles for $180 million.

Do you have the perseverance to try to create a success after 35 failures? Is it worth the six years of trying and failing to reach the runaway success? This is another example of hyper-growth that comes from getting your surf board back out there again and again.

Many have reposted this on my Facebook feed, a lot quoting on how Charles has been an inspiration for them to persevere; try harder and not giving up hope on hitting the proverbial jackpot.

But for me, when I read this post, I can’t help but feel a little bit disappointed at myself. In my whole 26 years (and counting) on planet Earth, I don’t think I have really taken any big risk, any big chances. I have not throw caution to the wind and say “heck this, I am gonna do it MY WAY”. Trust me, there are plenty of times where I would just like to walk away and take that chance, you know, to take the road less traveled and do something that nobody could imagine me doing. I sometimes feel that I am the cookie cutter variety and sometimes I just hate myself because of that.

I could have been the next Charles, the next Tony Fernandes, etc. But, sigh, I am just too big a coward to take that first step.

But again, I remember this quote that my great mentor once told me “It is only by venturing out of one’s comfort zone in obedience that one can benefit most!”