All great entrepreneurs appear to follow the same trajectory: A founder identifies an opportunity, runs into issues, and gets rewarded by building a big company. But after more than ten years of experience working with startups and speaking to numerous entrepreneurs, what is actually real, nobody tells on LinkedIn.
The truth that nobody posts on LinkedIn is that entrepreneurship is like building an airplane and taking it out on its maiden flight. You are also building it, driving it, and serving as its flight attendant. Sometimes your motors begin to falter.
The brutal truth? The best entrepreneurs are neither fearless visionaries but individuals that are often uncertain. It is what makes them good that they have learned how to cope with doubt. They accepted that very often the real response is "I don't know," followed by "but I will make it out."
Consider that founder that appeared to hit out of thin air? Look closer, and there are numerous instances of doubt, changes of plans, and countless nights of second-guessing everything. Entrepreneur success is not avoiding challenges but sticking around long enough to learn what actually works.
The most valuable insight that I learned is that entrepreneurship is never accomplished by one individual alone. Every "self-made" success is backed by early consultants, early customers, passionate fans, and employees that believed in ideas that were incomplete. The vision of the visionary founder is only that - an idea.
Do you know what actually goes on behind business scenes? Funding rounds make headlines but most successful ventures are built on good money management, selling to customers, and hard work. Outside money can make a great difference but only after planning is done carefully.
Folks forget that building business transforms your life. It takes you out of your comfort zone, tests your beliefs, and makes you discover inner strength that you never knew that you had. The actual product is neither only the business that gets built but also the person that gets developed along the process.
So if considering taking that leap, remember that it is okay to be afraid to be an entrepreneur but doing it anyhow is what counts. It is okay that you do not know everything but learn on your way. More important is that it means that you’re making your own plans, not someone’s plans.
The world is not in need of myths regarding startups but real talk on what goes into building things out of nothing. Because here is the truth that building things out of nothing is what entrepreneurship is all about but building better futures too, one uncertain step after the next.
Are you prepared to write your own script?
—————-
Helping businesses raise funds, is my job, it’s what I excel at.
I’ve successfully assisted over 300 clients in securing more than $20 million in funding.
Photo by StartupStockPhotos
