Startups like Hold the Rope are naturally exciting. Everything feels new, with fresh ideas and a surge of energy. The risks generate adrenaline, balancing the anxiety and uncertainty. This is where the action is.
But frantic energy isn’t sustainable. Even in our 100-day startup sprint, we are embracing a key discipline—one exemplified by William Carey, whose legacy inspires our name, Hold the Rope.
In 1793, Carey went to India as a missionary, serving for forty years without returning to England. His work was slow, and the fruit was sparse. He once wrote to his sisters, “I am very fruitless and almost useless, but the Word and the attributes of God are my hope, my confidence, and my joy.” Despite the challenges, he trusted that God’s purposes would prevail.
One of Carey’s greatest legacies in India is Bible translation. He translated the entire Bible into Bengali, Punjabi, Oriya, Assamese, Marathi, Hindi, and Sanskrit, along with portions into twenty-nine other languages. When a fire destroyed his printing presses, manuscripts, and grammar dictionaries—years of work—Carey thanked God for the strength to begin again. Reflecting on his life, Carey said, “If anyone should write my life… if he gives me credit for being a plodder, he will describe me justly. I can plod. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this, I owe everything.”
This perseverance is what makes a startup sustainable. It’s the spirit we are embracing from day one.
We know there will be ups and downs—two steps forward, three steps back—but like Carey, we say: Ready. Set. Plod!