Shalom Lamm on the Long Game: Why Patience Is the Secret Weapon of Entrepreneurial Success

In startup culture, we often hear that speed wins. Launch fast. Scale fast. Fail fast. The pressure to move quickly is everywhere—fueling a generation of entrepreneurs obsessed with acceleration.

But what if the real key to sustainable success isn’t speed at all?

According to entrepreneur and nonprofit leader Shalom Lamm, the most underrated entrepreneurial skill is patience. And he would know. With decades of experience in real estate, publishing, and philanthropic ventures like Operation Benjamin, Lamm has built businesses that last—not because he rushed, but because he waited when it mattered most.

“It took me years to learn that in business—and in life—the most valuable results are rarely immediate,” says Lamm. “Patience isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about trusting the process long enough to see it pay off.”

In this post, we explore how Shalom Lamm developed his long-game mindset, and why patience is a power tool every entrepreneur should be cultivating.

The Early Days: Learning to Wait While Building

Shalom Lamm’s entrepreneurial roots go back to real estate development in the New York metro area. Early in his career, he launched large-scale residential projects—often involving lengthy zoning approvals, community negotiations, and regulatory red tape.

“It taught me quickly that nothing worthwhile happens on your timeline alone,” Lamm recalls. “You can’t force markets or people to move faster just because you want them to.”

What many young entrepreneurs see as delay, Lamm learned to see as strategic timing. He didn’t just wait—he used the waiting periods to build stronger relationships, gather more data, and prepare for the right moment to act.

This lesson carried forward into every venture he touched.

Patience Isn’t Passive—It’s Purposeful

One of the biggest misconceptions about patience is that it’s a form of inaction. But Lamm sees it differently.

“Patience is incredibly active,” he says. “It requires discipline. It requires vision. And it requires confidence to resist the noise telling you to move before you’re ready.”

In his publishing ventures, Lamm often sat on editorial strategies and partnerships for months, refining tone and reach rather than chasing quick wins. In real estate, he let properties sit rather than accept offers below their true value. In each case, his patience was not delay—it was decision-making with perspective.

This mindset also shaped his leadership approach—choosing long-term talent development over short-term performance, and prioritizing mission alignment over aggressive scaling.

Operation Benjamin: A Mission Rooted in Patience and Purpose

Perhaps the clearest example of Lamm’s belief in long-term impact is his work as the CEO of Operation Benjamin, a nonprofit dedicated to correcting historical inaccuracies in the burial records of Jewish-American soldiers killed in World War II.

The organization works with military archives, families, religious scholars, and the U.S. government to identify Jewish soldiers buried under incorrect headstones and ensure they receive a Star of David and recognition of their true heritage.

Each case can take months—or even years—to verify, navigate regulations, coordinate with descendants, and complete the correction process with dignity.

“It’s the most patience-intensive work I’ve ever done,” Lamm says. “But when you see that new headstone unveiled with a Star of David and a soldier’s family standing there…you realize this is what patience is for.”

There’s no way to rush that kind of work. And in a world driven by speed and visibility, Lamm and his team chose depth, truth, and accuracy over headlines.

Operation Benjamin is a masterclass in mission-driven patience: slow, careful work that changes history—and lives.

The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma: Fast vs. Sustainable

So why do so many founders struggle with patience?

Lamm believes the problem is cultural.

“We’ve created an entrepreneurial mythology where the faster you go, the more impressive you are. But that mythology breaks down in real life.”

He points to burnout, shallow product-market fit, and founder fatigue as consequences of rushing. In contrast, businesses built with patience tend to have:

• Stronger customer relationships
  
• More durable business models
  
• Healthier teams
  
• Greater alignment with long-term vision
  

“There’s nothing wrong with momentum,” he says. “But if your momentum is constantly ahead of your strategy, you’re headed for a crash.”

Patience as a Competitive Edge

What makes patience so powerful is that few people practice it. In a world of short attention spans and quarterly metrics, entrepreneurs who think in years—not weeks—are rare.

That gives patient founders a built-in edge.

Shalom Lamm sees this especially in younger entrepreneurs he mentors.

“I tell them, if you’re willing to spend five years doing what others won’t, you’ll spend the next ten doing what others can’t.”

In a time when many businesses pivot every 90 days, a leader who stays the course, sticks to values, and builds carefully stands out—and wins long-term trust.

How Entrepreneurs Can Build Patience

Lamm doesn’t pretend patience is easy, especially for ambitious personalities. But he offers a few tactics that have helped him strengthen it over the years:

1. Zoom Out Constantly

Look at your business not in weeks or quarters—but in decades. Ask yourself: Will this decision matter in five years?

2. Learn to Love the Plateau

Progress isn’t always visible. Lamm suggests embracing the plateaus in growth as necessary prep for the next leap.

3. Document Your Timeline

When launching a new initiative, write down your expected timeline—then double it. Not as a delay tactic, but as a realistic buffer for surprises.

4. Celebrate Delayed Wins

Make a habit of rewarding the long, slow victories—customer trust, product maturity, cultural alignment. These are the marks of lasting companies.

Final Thoughts: Patience Builds Legacy

Whether he’s developing property, leading teams, or honoring fallen soldiers through Operation Benjamin, Shalom Lamm has built a career around a principle few entrepreneurs talk about openly: patience.

“Some people want to build startups,” he says. “I want to build things that endure.”

In business and in history, the greatest work often takes the longest. And for those willing to wait—to invest deeply, stay steady, and keep perspective—the rewards are not only meaningful—they’re lasting.

So the next time you feel the pressure to rush your next decision, launch, or hire, remember Lamm’s advice: You’re not falling behind—you’re building for what’s ahead.