I decided to pursue terrace/balcony gardening as a hobby few years back. Over the time I realized that the skills and strategies needed in maintaining and growing a small balcony garden were analogous and similar to the ones needed in setting up and growing “ventures”.
Here are 7 points where I found glaring similarities:
1) Choosing right kind of plants and pots for your space based on sunlight and climate
Life — Choose your battles, Choose your work based on your liking and skills
Startup — Choose the right market segment and right solution that sells
2) Right watering, not letting the key nutrients water down.
Life — Focus on strengths
Startup — Focussed investment, avoid overspending
3) Appropriate and just enough nutrition for right growth and survival during harsh times
Life — Invest in skills, learning and security
Startup — same as in life, invest in long term growth, have backup and cushioning
4) Cutting down (pruning) the unessential branches and growths
Life — Cut Overspending on luxurious life style, unessential life needs
Startups — Do not diversify too much, keep focussed, channel all efforts and investments in focussed areas of strength
5) Grooming the plant right for the favorable blooming time
Life — Be proactive, ready and quick to grab every opportunity, be vigilant
Startups — Prepare and be ready for every day for leveraging on opportunity for growth and scaling
6) Appreciating and enjoying whichever flowers bloom
Life — Appreciating and enjoying small successes and milestones is energy boosting
Startups — As in life and family, appreciating milestones, successes and celebrating as a team is critical for startup growth and gelling of team
7) Keeping a persistent and disciplined approach and daily, weekly, monthly routine.
Life and Startups are very similar to gardening here .. Persistence, discipline, caring, patience and regularity makes you fit, ready and strong to take up a challenge or an opportunity
The analogies for each of these activities in all three domains are obvious and relatable to entrepreneurs and startup co-founders like myself. My observations and the inferences I have arrived at are serendipitous but worth a second look. I am sure that these seven “tests” could serve as surrogate markers towards ability of an entrepreneur / founder or even for a leader to succeed in a venture.
I tend to post some of the pictures of my “urban apartment gallery garden” on my Facebook page. Check them out here.. https://www.facebook.com/PVBhave/photos
Collation of my daily clips of the Home Gallery Garden over 2 months period in 2026 , spring and early summer ( March -April )
Happy gardening ! Have a great life!