Reid Hoffman – the founder of LinkedIn – once said: “Starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and trying to assemble a plane together before you hit the ground.” You know the ground is coming fast and you must put all the parts of the plane together faster than the approaching ground, and then maybe – just maybe – you can get the plane started and soar over the clouds.

Rebel entrepreneurs realize that they thrive in the face of fear and the unknown. It’s only when they take that plunge, that they understand what they are truly capable of achieving. Their passion for their product or service is the glue that binds the plane’s disassembled parts as it dives. After jumping, the plane – and the entrepreneur – will soar.

This jump into the unknown has driven entrepreneurs, leaders and creators since the dawn of time. When Captain Hernán Cortés’ fleet landed in Veracruz in 1519, his men woke to find that their ships had been burnt by their leader. Cortés pointed at the ships’ charred remains by the shore and told his crew that retreat was now impossible. Their only option was to face the fear and move forward. They had to make it work.

It is in this moment of urgency that the rebel entrepreneur is created. The rebel entrepreneur will take a leap and trust that their passion and self-belief will save them.

It may be tempting to step away from the edge, and to retreat to the life that you once knew, but by doing this you are letting fear win.

Einstein once said “Comfort is the enemy of achievement” and a rebel entrepreneur embodies this principle. Jumping off the cliff may be terrifying, but the caveat is that once you take that leap, your passion will grow exponentially, and in turn, so will your business. See what your made of – take that plunge!