If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
On a train from NYC to Boston reflecting on how much fun I have had over the last decade....
I have found startup endeavors to be marathons & not sprints. You need a product, market and great team. However, more than anything you need to “believe” in your heart you are not only going to make it, but you can impact the world with your work.
I would not say, “there is nothing to it”, but it does not feel like work. It feels like a mission – something very personal that you cannot separate from easily. Not to over plagiarize R Kelly, but you do think about it every night and day. You go to bed thinking about it and you wake up thinking about it.
For a founder, a company feels like a child that you want to grow and nurture. It is extremely hard to release though acquisition and if it happens you have an empty nest/ a sense of loss even if it comes with gain.
Being an entrepreneur is a contact sport so your unshakeable motivation and sense of purpose matter more than any other factor. Being this way, you are on the edge most of the time feeling every speed bump in your path. But man.. you feel alive….
Personally, I feel very blessed to be part of the startup mosaic. They say between birth and death, you have a dash on your tombstone that represents your life. The question is how you will spend the dash – doing what you love or doing what you don’t love. Many would love startups, but never take the leap because of the risk, emotion and financial danger.
If you can see it, I think it is a great way to spend the dash..
