This post is in response to all those people who keep asking me - when is the right time to start off on my own?
Just because I’ve been an entrepreneur for a few years now doesn’t mean that I have the faintest idea when one should start a company or even if one should! There are a million and one people out there who would love to assist you. They’ll tell you everything - from how much to save (depending on your risk appetite) before starting up to planning for your marriage and family.
But from my limited experience, I can safely tell you this - If you need someone’s sanction (be it your astrologer’s, for all I care!) to dive into the world of entrepreneurship, KEEP AWAY, my friend.
I’m putting in writing what I tell wannabe entrepreneurs who come looking for advice. Don’t let the romance of a startup fool you. There’s nothing romantic or cool about it. Its a life full of struggle and impossible deadlines - deadlines that you cannot afford to miss. Nothing can be put off for tomorrow - everything needed to have been done yesterday. And most importantly, have the ability to swallow your pride and grin when your classmate shows off his new big car!
So, if you got the steel to survive the rigours of being your own boss, start today, nay, NOW!
P.S. There’s a pot of gold (and a very BIG car) at the end of the journey - that is, if you last that long :)
TODAY is the game changer. TODAY is the day that has changed the way I’ll lead the “rest of my life”.
And all it took was this one post by Steve Blank.
I quit the supposed “rat race” to follow my dreams but I never realized that the rat race never quit me. And this post is about an entrepreneur’s confession.
In the last 2 years that I’ve been running a startup - though I’m not sure if we can be called a startup anymore, there have been very valuable life lessons. Apart from the usual perks and pitfalls, one thing that has really stood apart for us is the sheer range of people interactions that we’ve had - family, friends, customers, investors, ex-colleagues, business partners, vendors, bankers, lawyers… you get to see people in a whole new light - people who stand behind you like a rock to those who abandon ship at the slightest hint of trouble. From the heady days of 2006-2007 to the dismal lows of 2008-2009, we’ve seen and survived it all.
The secret to this is not money, not luck - but love. Love of your family and love of your friends - probably the most underrated input for survival and success.
Money can be substituted - offer your employees stocks - pay rent using credit card - make your landlord an equity partner - and voila, money does not look all that important. But when you’re down and desperately groping around for motivation, all you need is an arm around your shoulder, a smiling face (and maybe someone to buy you a cold mug of beer) - and that, my friends, is where the game is won. The will to keep going in the face of insurmountable odds cannot be bought with money - the strength to get up, dust off and run again after being repeatedly knocked down requires just on thing - unwavering support - that of your family and your friends. When every single conversation leads to nowhere alley, your family and friends provide the light.
So I have absolutely no doubt in declaring that the single factor that has gotten us thus far is the love of our families and friends. Pleasantly enough, I’ve found new friends along the way - from ex-bosses and ex-colleagues to people I had lost touch over the years. I can narrate extraordinary acts of kindness - but I’ll leave that for another day.
So all you wannabe entrepreneurs out there - speak to family, speak to friends, connect/reconnect with people - go, get some love.
