bhaskar saikia

Larry Page once said: “It is easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.”

At first, this sounds counterintuitive. We assume bigger goals mean tougher competition. But in reality, most people play small. They chase the safer path, the easier option, the conventional wisdom. That leaves a surprising amount of space at the top for those who dare to dream outrageously big.

Whether you’re building a business, starting a creative pursuit, or shaping your career, aiming for the extraordinary can actually give you more room to maneuver. Fewer people are willing to take the risk, so your boldness itself becomes an advantage.

But here’s the catch: crazy ambitions don’t pay off overnight. As Mark Zuckerberg (though many others have said something similar) reminds us, “We always tend to overestimate what we can achieve in 2 years but grossly underestimate what can be done in 10 years.” That’s the paradox of ambition—it feels impossibly hard in the short term, yet astonishingly rewarding in the long run.

This means patience is as important as vision. If you commit to an ambitious dream, you must give it time to grow roots. Two years may bring frustration. But ten years of consistent, focused effort can bring results beyond what you once thought possible.

So, if your dream feels too big, too crazy, or too lonely, take heart. That’s the very sign you’re on a path few dare to walk. Don’t measure its worth by short-term hurdles. Instead, give it the patience of a decade.

Because while ordinary goals keep you in the crowd, ambitious dreams have the power to lift you above it.