In 1954, Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. Until that day, they said it was impossible: that the human body just couldn't do it. That it was a biological limit. But Bannister, absolute legend, broke it. And within weeks, someone else beat it. And then someone else.
What seemed out of reach stopped being out of reach.
The limit was in their heads.
My own sub-4 mile
I've had a few “miles” like that in my life:
- Getting through 7 interviews to land a job at MercadoLibre HQ in Buenos Aires. No connections, no referral. Just persistence.
- Going from playing for 10 people in a tiny venue… to packing a place with 5,000 paying fans, just to see us play.
- Feeling like I was about to go broke, going down swinging… and then Rockstart Colombia invested in my startup.
- Being about to shut down GetLavado during the pandemic, and ending up selling services to companies in other countries to survive.
- Years later, that same startup was acquired by Laundryheap, a global leader in the industry. What was once an idea with an empty bank account ended up part of a worldwide company.
- Having kids. Suddenly, what you did wasn't just for you anymore. It was for them. A whole new reality.
And some smaller ones, but just as important:
like when everyone said a certain customer was impossible to close —and we closed it.
Or when we went from delivering orders in 48 h to 24 h, and we're going after 12 h.
Breaking that mile changes the game.
And it doesn't just happen in life or in a startup. It happens to whole industries:
A few years ago, in delivery, under an hour was already fast.
Until Rappi Turbo showed up, delivering in 10 minutes.
And the limit moved.
It went from “impossible” to “normal”.
That's the mile: when something that seemed crazy becomes the new standard.
Why this story matters (especially in LatAm)
Because here everything is harder...
Limited capital. Young ecosystems. Distrust.
But breaking your mile isn't about flashing numbers, it's about changing beliefs.
It's telling others that it can be done, against all odds.
And that what takes you far... isn't talent or connections.
It's the idea, execution and showing up every single day.
So: how do you break your own mile?
- Don't wait for perfect conditions. Start now.
- Measure what matters: paying customers, retention, real value.
- If something seems impossible, ask yourself if the limit is real or in your head.
- When you pull it off, show it. Let your mile push others.
Limits don't exist until someone crosses them.
And when you do, the track changes.
For you, and for the ones coming after you.
Breaking your mile isn't about running faster. It's about not letting go until you get there.
