The concept behind Tough Mudder seems like a tough sell: It's an obstacle-course event in which participants must scale walls, crawl under barbed wire, and, of course, get immersed in mud. Still, led by co-founder and CEO Will Dean, the company has grown rapidly, hosting more than half a million racers in events in 10 countries last year. In this interview and the video above, Dean explains how he handles the many challenges along the way.
When you launched Tough Mudder, how did you deal with the naysayers?
Anytime you step away from the norm, others are tempted to dismiss you. At the same time, when you're starting a company, you have all these negative voices in your own head. You're never 100 percent confident that it will all work out as you hoped. So instead, focus on what will happen if you're wrong. How bad will it be? Facing down your fears is integral.