Back in the summer of 2014 I wrote a post for Entrepreneur Academe about the value of being part of a network like Entrepreneur Academe where you meet fellow founders and have access to mentors.
As most entrepreneurs will attest to, and solo founders in particular I imagine, startup life can be lonely, both in the literal sense if you work from home and it’s just you, but also at a later stage where you have a team and an office. For me the loneliness lies in all the decisions that have to me made and all the doing that has to be done and that everything, in the end, is up to me. No matter how much I delegate to the team, I’m still responsible. I have the final say and it’s on my shoulders to sail this ship to the right shore. It’s an emotional rollercoaster and that’s also where part of the loneliness lies.
I don’t know if I completely appreciated just how crazy a ride startup life would be when I embarked on this journey. Just like everyone tells you that when it comes to having kids, you can’t fully understand what it’s like until you have kids of your own, I find it a little the same with startup life. We don’t have kids so I can’t for sure say if it actually is the same with entrepreneurship, but to some extent I believe that same observation holds true for startup life too. You get asked and talk about how amazing it is to follow your dreams, to work on something that you have created and that wonderful freedom you have of working when and on what you like. To a large extent it’s true, but to an equally large extent, it’s also untrue.
You work more and not always on the things that you’re passionate about. Just like that baker who decides to set up their own bakery because they love baking soon will find out, your day as an entrepreneur is seldom filled with baking. It’s filled with running a business and everything that it entails. In the early days, you no longer have the support from ex-colleagues who are experts in what they do. It’s you and your small team doing and figuring it all out. And by “it all” I mean everything.
But this is also where the beauty and the appeal to some extent lies. To work on something where you constantly learn, adapt and iterate until you get it right. To be up for the challenge and the ride of battling through when you don’t yet know how to solve something, or when your motivation drops. To trust and believe in what you’re doing, but also to know and really ask yourself the hard question of Would I actually be able to identify if it was time to let this go, and then actually be able to let go?.
You need to know the difference between doubt and doubt, because at some point you’ll feel it. Whether it’s down to if startup life is actually for you, or if this beast of a startup that you’ve created is right for you, or right at all. Others will share their opinions left, right and centre. Some will be spurring you on. Others quite the opposite and you need to learn how to deal with it all. To not let it take you up to glorified skies, but also not be to quick to say “You’re right” and say good bye to it all. There will be good days and there’ll be bad days, and no big decision should be made on either.
Startup life is a journey like no other that I’ve experienced and I reckon you have to be a little bit crazy to jump on board, leaving the comforts of the pay check that arrives at the end of the month, on the clock, and everything that comes with it. D’s been incredible at supporting me throughout it so far, and so have my family and friends, but sometimes you just need to talk to and share crazy stories with people who have or are going through the same thing. To have a laugh and go “This life of mine ain’t so crazy after all”.
Whilst startup life to some extent is a lonely journey, it’s also not. Regularly meeting fellow founders and startup mentees have made all the difference to me, from my experience through Entrepreneur Academe, to the founders I meet at various events. There’s so much we can learn from each other and offer of support. And there are so many people out there who are willing to help.
You can read the full post for Entrepreneur Academe here
Image via flickr user Tim Dawson
