The unsightly truth about entrepreneurship

Original author: Larry Kim
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I am here to tell you, my serious friends, the harsh truths about the life of entrepreneurs .
Many would have willingly exchanged boring work from 9 to 17 for a chance to become a businessman and own his own self, to promote his own enterprise and observe its growth and prosperity. And how does Larry Kim look at this?


Launching Word Stream and taking part in its transformation from a startup to a truly successful company was incredibly interesting and instructive. But there are definitely traits in entrepreneurship that I have not been warned about.

Failure to graduate will not turn you into the next Steve Jobs


Many people mistakenly believe that if they dropped the yoke of higher education, they would be able to create another Apple. Leaving the university does not turn you into a millionaire - ask a boy working at TacoBell (not that there was something shameful at work at TacoBell ... Well, unless you serve the morning menu ...) The

truth is that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates did not drop out of school to idle and play League of Legends for days on end. For more than a year after his formal expulsion, Jobs continued to attend classes as a listener (he says that calligraphy lessons became a source of inspiration for Mac fonts and intervals). And Gates, even before leaving Harvard, had a plan to create his future company.

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They were the exceptions. Getting an education before diving into entrepreneurial adventures gives you a much better chance of a happy outcome.

And since we started talking about this: Einstein had no problems with mathematics - he was an excellent student and mastered the integral calculus by the age of 15. He also married his cousin and never wore socks. So maybe it's time to stop considering it a benchmark

You must sincerely motivate yourself


Just mentioning that you need to motivate yourself to become a successful entrepreneur will not be enough. You must be a person who pays taxes in January and flosses twice a day.

And you should really be interested in the world and strive to solve problems. For the first time launching a startup, you are completely independent. Over time, you will be able to expand the team and call for help great guys, but first you will have to act alone. So, you (and only you) will be a marketer, financier, PR director, head of customer service, etc. You will have to fulfill all these roles.

It’s easy to imagine: it’s the same as starting a business in the city of Stress. However, if your intrinsic motivation is strong, all of this can be a fun and exciting source of experience. Just do not forget that in your jazz band you will have to play all the instruments at once, and get ready for the difficulties!

You won't get rich - at least immediately


If your business grows and succeeds, everything is great! Suddenly you have money, and dollars begin to run in your eyes. At this point, the temptation to increase expenses (after all, buying Tesla will turn you into a superhero) and rewarding yourself for your efforts will be very great. But in reality, you need to feed and grow your business, using the money they bring, and not perceive the enterprise as a personal pill.

High-quality promotion is the path to a stable and profitable business, and therefore try not to indulge your desires and manage with a small salary. In addition, your well-worn boots will completely look like vintage ones, and you can get all the necessary nutrients in Ramen (note: eating in Ramen is completely impossible, but why not try it!).

Procrastination - a death sentence


At school, procrastination is just a bad habit. Yes, it can lead to tiring night vigils when caffeine is pumped intravenously, but procrastinators themselves can do everything.

When you become your own boss, professors and managers stop breathing in the back of your head. You choose your working hours and change your suit and tie to sweatpants (or jeans, if you prefer classics). Your office space extends from the closest Starbucks to your home dining table. This lack of strict structure is a very dangerous factor for procratinators, for whom it all starts with watching another episode of Game of Thrones before returning to work. As a result, the time approaches one o'clock in the afternoon, you order food from a Chinese restaurant, and at the same time do not get to brushing your teeth.

To begin to perceive my business as a real business — that is, to set real hours of work, to form a regime and to stick to it — I needed to make a certain effort on myself. This is what allowed me to increase staff and get better. No one will come to your team to hang around and review the Clinic. And if there are such people, then you certainly will not pay them for it.

It's not easy to pick a dream team


Creating a first startup is an incredibly exciting experience. But, although you can consider yourself 100% autonomous, it will probably be difficult for you to force others to share your enthusiasm. Do not be surprised if your friends and colleagues will not rush to your team to take a magical journey with you into the wonderful world of startups.

At first, I was offended when I could not persuade my friends and colleagues to go to my company. Didn’t they see how cool it was? I did not understand why no one wanted to quit and join me.

On the realization that I suggested people take a leap into nowhereI took some time. They had families and obligations on accounts, and therefore many were not ready to take such a serious risk. I saw that I needed to demonstrate the strength of my company, and then they would gain confidence that this adventure deserves at least some trust.

To achieve real results that could be shown to potential team members, I set goals and achieved them, developed my business skills, and invested money in the enterprise. Having received the numbers confirming my statements, I managed to gather the necessary team.

Your pride can be seriously hurt


The harsh reality is this: about 80% of enterprises fail, which means that your chances are slim. To make matters worse, your difficulties will be made public, as relatives, friends and acquaintances will constantly ask: “How are things going?” It’s hard to imagine how annoying it is.

Accept the fact that you can fail, but do not revel in it, but learn from your own mistakes. Some entrepreneurs had to crash several times before pulling out a winning ticket. To accept everything that has happened and become wiser thanks to your mistakes, you need a certain humility, so leave your ego behind the door.

Success has never been so sweet


Yes, it is difficult to be an entrepreneur, but the reward is very high. You were probably told how pleasant it is to observe the victories and prosperity of your brainchild, but only having experienced it yourself can you feel all the joy and satisfaction.

PS We recommend another useful article on the topic of working on yourself - 10 things that you should think about before quitting work .

The author of the translation is Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of TESTutor .

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