In this article, the author defines the Corridor Principle, which explains how entrepreneurs are able to use knowledge and insight from earlier ventures to see new venture opportunities that they could not have seen and/or pursued had they not started an earlier venture. He discusses its importance to practitioners in allowing them to anticipate what is likely to happen, and shows how combining the Corridor Principle with the Near Failure Syndrome (the propensity of start-ups to survive but nearly fail) changes the goal for starting a first business from profit maximization to "survival maximization." While awareness of these two phenomena is no guarantee of success, it does appear that the odds of success often improve as entrepreneurs learn their trade--which is done by getting into business and staying alert for the corridor opportunities that will undoubtedly be revealed; knowing what to do about the near failures that will undoubtedly be revealed; and knowing what to do about the near failures that will probably occur when those opportunities are pursued. (Contains 12 notes.)