Can I Be Direct? You Might HATE Entrepreneurship

I got my start in entrepreneurship the usual way: making duct tape wallets and selling them to my friends to fund my xbox game habit.

If you’re on the internet, you’ve probably heard the siren song of entrepreneurship. It can look so, so good. Be your own boss! Make loads of money! Disrupt a stale industry and create hundreds of jobs for awesome, smart people!

But let’s be honest: entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone; not by a long shot. And that is 100% okay. Click To Tweet

Entrepreneurship requires superpowers – find yours

Each of us has a superpower. As cliche as it sounds, it’s the truth. Your superpower might be making complex ideas understandable, designing beautiful things, or maintaining a positive mindset in the midst of challenging circumstances.

(Maybe it’s creating truly great memes.)  

Think about

• What you’re passionate about
• The topics you’re extremely knowledgeable about
• What you have a knack for learning quickly

That? That’s your superpower and if you find the right way to harness it, you can use it to impact the world around you. 

That might take the shape of entrepreneurship. It could also take the shape of launching a non-profit, teaching this skill to your friends, or just doing this thing really, really well as a hobby. Not everything has to become a business! 

That being said, identifying and nurturing your unique talents will always benefit you personally and – if you so choose – professionally.

The role opportunity plays in entrepreneurship

When we’re talking about entrepreneurship, I think it’s important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same opportunities and we’re not all starting from the same place. If we’re being really honest, success often requires the right circumstances and resources.

If you have a college education, a decent professional network, or even the ability to crash in your childhood bedroom rent-free while you launch your company, you’ve got some great resources to build on.

I was lucky enough to be raised by a father who was a serial entrepreneur and showed me what was possible. I worked hard to get into a good school and build a network of people I love to collaborate with. I worked hard and I’ve been very lucky.

Of course, not every successful company requires millions of dollars from investors or an Ivy League education. Mailchimp started as a side hustle when two web designers didn’t like the newsletter platforms that were available for their clients. 

Skyskanner began as a bespoke spreadsheet to help its founder find the best flight prices. Twitter’s co-founder Evan Williams grew up on a farm in Clarks, Nebraska (population 323) and dropped out of college after a year and a half.

Two things can be true at once: success is possible even in tough situations AND the entrepreneur journey isn’t fair or equal for everyone. Click To Tweet

Traits of a successful entrepreneur

Here’s something I wish more people talked about: Entrepreneurship is SO MUCH more than starting a business. Click To Tweet
It’s about solving problems quickly, managing people effectively, creating buy-in, and delivering excellent customer service. It also requires a really tenacious commitment to (at least attempting) work/life balance – being a good partner, parent, and friend while being always on the clock.

As an entrepreneur, you’re never truly off duty. Vacation? I don’t know her.

You’ll also need a lot of grit and perseverance. You’ll want to cultivate a solution-oriented mindset rather than shaming and blaming when things get tough.

And developing a passion for the entrepreneur lifestyle will help you immeasurably. Trying out a new idea as soon as you have it, late nights talking about big ideas, frequent travel to meet new clients and collaborators – these challenges won’t feel like work. They’ll fuel your drive and ambition.

But these traits – grit, perseverance, a solutions-oriented mindset, managing people – are crucial. Without them, the entrepreneurial path can be daunting and disheartening. Entrepreneurship can be tough and sometimes isolating. Not everyone is built for it, and that’s why I wouldn’t encourage everyone to pursue it.

Should you give entrepreneurship a try?

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re passionate about solving problems, managing teams, and creating value, and you have the resilience to handle the ups and downs, entrepreneurship might be for you. You need to understand the demands and sacrifices involved.

Entrepreneurship isn’t glamorous; it’s hard and it requires constant dedication. But for some of us, it’s a fulfilling journey that doesn’t feel like work.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, I share more about my journey in this episode of Elijah Murray’s podcast. If you’ve got a podcast that covers tech, entrepreneurship, or business I’d love to chat!