So we all have had those random meetings with our friends after watching movies such as Social Network, Guru, or Jobs — where we cribbed about our work and environment, and thought of starting our own ventures.
The next day we went back to our daily routine, placating ourselves that “we would have taken the plunge, if only …. (Please fill your favorite excuse here).
Since childhood, we are programmed by our family to be risk-averse. We pile-up as many degrees as we can, from the best institutes we can go to, join the companies where we can have stable careers, and then screw our personal life to excel in our career. Why? Because it gives us a fixed monthly income, to which are pegged all our as well as our family members’ dreams. And the earth might stop rotating, if that fixed family income is gone.
In this post, I will discuss some of the high-frequency excuses that are given by people, who never take the risk to follow their dreams.
I am waiting for the next Billion $$$ Business Model
Believe me this is a myth. No business model is flawless on day one, even after reaching a scale your business model still cannot be flawless.
Second, a good business model is always dynamic, with lots of pivots. It is always perfected over time, with experiences and market conditions.
So rather than finding a perfect business model — which you never will — I would advise you to focus more on execution of your product of service offering.
I will start once I get the funding
Many times I see people saying “I will start full time once I get some funding”. I have a different take on this: If you yourself are not confident about your idea (not working on your idea full time indicates that only), then how can you think that a guy with money will have confidence in your idea.
On the other side, half–hearted efforts are usually not good enough to build businesses.
Oh, I have financial liabilities and EMIs
This is definitely a BIG barrier. I don’t have anything thing to write here other than the following:
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- GET rid of these asap
- You only have chosen your lifestyle. And you only can come out of it, if you feel enslaved.
I am looking for the RIGHT time
Do you believe in astrology? Are you not a king yet?
Well that means you were not even born at the most optimal time. So let’s stop waiting for the right time, and do it today.
I don’t know what is right time, what does it mean, when it will come, whether it will come or not.
There is no better right time than today. Believe me by waiting for the right time, you are just increasing the odds against pursuing your desire to start-up.
Just think about it — while waiting for the right time, you would have:
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- Acquired a flat or two on EMIs
- Got married
- Started paying your kids tuition fees
- Acquired well deserved HIGH pay check that is difficult to let go
Net net, you are even more risk averse.
I am about to get married
This can be another BIG barrier… only if you think it is.
When I started my first venture, my marriage was only 7 months old and my wife was very supportive and provided the much needed push to start my first venture.
Bottom line here is that, if you actually want to start something, marriage is not really a barrier. In fact, in some cases, your wife can be your saviour (if she is working and bringing in the money to bear the household expenses).
See everyone has right to make mistakes, everyone makes it whether you admit that or not.
Don’t get too serious about making mistakes, if you really wish to go the start-up way, all the points mentioned above should not matter.
The ending note
There is one more little point that I would like to add here. I don’t remember who said that or where I heard this, it goes like this – “zyada padai insaan ko darpook bana deti hai”.
[quote_right]Zyada padai insaan ko darpook bana deti hai[/quote_right]
With no offense to anyone I think it is very right. I have many bright friends who graduated from IIMs, ISB etc., who actually view a simple business from various angles that they themselves discard all their ideas and then send an email after 5-6 months saying “Remember we discussed this, and there is a start-up doing it now, have a look at this link”
WTF? Sorry guys, but, I would like to ask —do you remember when you were chasing the girl who was much prettier than you and you still managed to date her?
Reason: You probably didn’t apply all the cases studies or models that you studied at B-schools. If you would have, then you would have not even bothered chasing her.
So let me end this post with a humble request: Please if you REALLY wish to do it, do it NOW!!!
Oh yes, entrepreneurs are illogical and insane. Had they been logical, they would have never been one.
Entrepreneurs are illogical and insane.
About The Author – Arpit Chhabra
Arpit is yet another mango man. By training he is a mechanical and automation engineer. Arpit is a serial entrepreneur, and has co-founded Sagacious Research, Sparrow Devices, and Ad Box.
Technology is that one thing which gives him kick. He made exit from his established Patent Research Firm, Sagacious Research, to pursue his technology dreams.
