At the risk of being too obvious, let us observe that every ISV is started by an entrepreneur who somehow overcomes fear of failure. The genesis of a new company usually involves hundreds of hours of study, deliberation, and conversation, most of which is focused on a single question: "Can I make this business work?" That process is healthy and necessary. It involves market research and number crunching and presentations and conjecture and coffee, all of which are critical elements of business success. Invariably, the process also involves a great deal of self-examination. The core question isn't just "Can this business work at all?" but rather, "Can I make this business work?" This, too, is healthy and necessary. I've seen research studies that show that self-awareness is the number one factor in success. There is no substitute for knowing your own abilities and limitations.