Emma Watson will always be remembered for her role as Hermione Granger, the brilliant witch of the Harry Potter saga. From a very young age, Emma was under the spotlight, which undoubtedly brought overwhelming success. But with each applause, the fear of not living up to her image began to grow. After the end of the saga, offers for movie roles and projects kept coming, but Emma found herself at a personal crossroads.

From You Are Not a Failure, chapter 4: The dark side of success

Born in 1452 in Vinci, Italy, Leonardo was the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant woman, a condition that marked his early years with a certain stigma. In an era where legitimacy dictated social status and opportunities, this circumstance could have foreshadowed a life of limitations. However, his talent was too potent to be confined. From a young age, he showed an extraordinary ability for drawing and observation, which caught the attention of Andrea del Verrocchio, a prominent artist of the time, who took him into his workshop in Florence.

From You Are Not a Failure, chapter 1: Deciphering failure

The best evidence comes from bomb disposal. In 1983, D. Cox, R. Hallam, K. O'Connor and Stanley Rachman compared seven British Army bomb-disposal operators who had been decorated for gallantry with seven who were just as experienced and successful but had not been decorated. Under threat of an electric shock, while making difficult decisions, the decorated operators kept a lower heart rate. In 1985, O'Connor, Hallam and Rachman repeated the study and got the same heart-rate result.

From I Want to Start a Business but I'm a Coward, chapter 10: Courage does not delete the fear

These passages come straight from the books. So, if one of them speaks to you, read the full chapter. It goes further, and it ends with a practical exercise.

In addition, these titles look at how to be successful from different angles. Each one opens with a passage from the book. Then, pick the one closest to your situation.

• I Want to Start a Business: Find Out Which Fears Are Telling the Truth
• The Employed Entrepreneur: How to Test a Business Without Losing Your Job
• I Don't Have Money: Get Paid Before You Spend a Cent
• The Service to Product Pivot: Get Paid Before You Spend a Cent
• How Many Days You Have Left: Get Paid Before You Spend a Cent
• The Data That Destroys the "Need Money" Myth: I Want to Start a Business but I Don't Have Money
• Keep Your Salary, Build Your Business: The Employed Person's Guide to Testing a Startup Before You Quit
• The Data That Destroys the "Need Money" Myth: Get Paid Before You Spend a Cent

Pick the fear that stops you, then answer three quick questions. The result tells you whether this fear is giving you facts or just noise.

The fear that stops me

Losing my savingsFailing in front of people I knowLosing the security of my jobNot being good enoughGetting into debtLetting my family down

Honestly, how likely is it to happen?

50%

If it happened, could you recover within two years?

YesNo

Could you test it this month without spending much?

YesNo

Check my fear.

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Finally, You Are Not a Failure goes deeper into how to be successful. Therefore, it is the natural next step. You can read it or listen to it in the stores below. It is also available in 11 languages.

Go to the book page. All topics.

• How to start a business.Diego Segura's books begin somewhere else: with a small test you can run this week, a first paying customer, and costs kept close to zero.
• Business ideas.Lists of business ideas are everywhere, but a list can't tell you which idea fits you.
• Online business ideas.Online business ideas look easy because the tools are cheap.
• Low risk business ideas.These passages show how to limit the downside, so that fear doesn't decide for you.