“[For entrepreneurs,] it’s the best of times … and it’s not the worst of times, but it’s a different time,” says Ravi Belani, managing partner of Alchemist Accelerator. There are so many advantages that didn’t exist 10 years ago, but founders and CEOs face more competition than ever. At Alchemist Accelerator, Ravi has helped budding companies navigate these changes -- and as a result, has many lessons to share. In this episode, Ravi gives some concrete advice about how to break into the startup scene in 2016, explains why growth purgatory is much worse than hell, and why persistence is more important than intelligence.