Idealism vs. Pragmatism- how your startup can benefit from both

Idealism and pragmatism are very much needed in any startup. Well, there is an obvious difference between idealism and pragmatism, especially in the business world. Idealism and pragmatism can hold different perspectives as well. Idealism is what you need as motivation to start a business to change the world, but pragmatism is what will keep your startup into becoming a part of the world to drive sustainable change. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss what actually idealism and pragmatism is and what are the major differences between these philosophies.
What is Idealism?
​Idealism is pursuing often unrealistic ideals that are often unrealistic at the time of chasing. Idealists are often driven by a set of strong moral beliefs and those moral principles are a must to be adopted and accepted to become a part of our life. The idealists focus on their end goal and seek a higher vision for their goal. They are always ready to go and take on risks to reach their vision because they think that their vision is well worth it. They are ready to suffer for a better future because they say that the decisions they have made are always right. They are determined to achieve long-term goals and that is why in the business world the idealist leaders always create a long term vision for their big idea. They are always working hard to attain long-term goals and sustain their business for a longer-term. They could be rigid and determined. It can be a bit difficult to please or to convince the idealistic leaders for any tweaks to their vision.
What is Pragmatism?
Pragmatism is acting realistically with the current circumstance. People who are pragmatic normally only consider the practicality of life and spends their lives based on practicality. They reject idealism when it feels that idealism is hindering their way. Since pragmatism is all about focusing on what is practical that is why the pragmatics or the pragmatic leaders in business focus on what they have in their hands right now. They don't ask the dealers to change their cards at a poker game, they work on maximizing their cards. They utilize the best option that is available at the moment. Therefore, the pragmatic leaders in business focus to achieve shorter-term goals as a means to an end. Due to this, they at times create a negative picture of them. 
Differences between Idealists and Pragmatics:

• Idealism follows long-term visions and goals and pragmatism focus on short-term goals.
• Idealists are rigid and would fight for the ideal situation for their work, whereas Pragmatics go with whatever is in their hands.
• Idealists could be pretty similar to extremists as they follow all or nothing. They could have a rigid way of getting things done. Pragmatics considers going with the flow and are pretty accommodating.  

Conclusion:
Idealism and pragmatism could be opposites but they could both be applied in a startup. If you are an idealist and your cofounder is a pragmatic kind of guy, instead of coming up with conflicts, you should find a solution to work together. We cannot ignore practicality as well as morality in our companies as they are both important. 

References
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/leadership-lab/how-millennials-make-pragmatic-idealism-work-for-them/article26663877/
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-key-differences-between-pragmatic-and-idealistic-people
https://www.capitalismmagazine.com/2015/05/pragmatism-is-an-impractical-philosophy-for-business/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130201215352-13561499-are-idealists-useless-in-business
https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/The-Impact-of-a-Corporate-Idealist?gko=99f00
https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2010/04/15/are-you-a-pragmatic-or-idealist-leader/