Startups, why they are so hard, and how to keep going

Yes, yes, we know, “IS SO EASY”, you can sell on amazon, create a product, do a course, or just start any business. So easy….

We live in an overwhelming world. We all know about Zuckenberg, Steve Jobs, and I'm sure it won’t be long until we have a movie about Bezos.

Moreover, we see every day these ads and people doing amazing things on Instagram, these gurus telling us the simple ways to get rich or be successful.

But, if you have started something, anything, from scratch, you know what I’m talking about.

Most new things are simply hard to do as they challenge your comfort zones in so many ways. That’s why we all wish we can travel, but just a few do it, we all want to be in shape but just a few do it, we all want to pursue or follow a passion but very few do it.

Elon Musk once said something like this: Doing a startup “Is like staring to the abyss while eating glass” I would add “and jumping to the abyss over and over again”

Photo by Mitchell Hartley on Unsplash

A startup is harder and more painful than these examples before, because of two things:

THE ABYSS

The Abyss is not a beautiful cliff where you can see a nice sunset, an abyss is one step off to the void, the unknown that scares us all, one of the biggest resistance and enemies of each of us.

It defies you in different levels and areas that you have never imagined that you’ll be doing.

A startup needs all your expertise in what you know but also asks for different knowledge and skills that most of us, especially if it’s your first business, do not have.

You might be one of the best woodworkers, video editors, 3d animators, engineers, etc. But when you start your workshop or online business it will need more than just yourself doing what you do.

Accounting, managing, marketing are just a few things that you have to push yourself to do, like kicking yourself towards that shady and foggy abyss.

EATING GLASS:

“Gee, maybe not the best metaphor Elon”

This can be related to the first one, just the fact that is a choice made by a rational mind to go, look for something painful and ingest it all, day by day.

And here I want to clarify something. Entrepreneurship, startups, and businesses are amazing in every way possible, is creating so many things from nothing but your creativity and willingness to see it in the world.

For me, is one of the things I love the most in my life, I wouldn’t change the path I have chosen for anything.

But is not for everyone.

It needs a particular resilience and strength of mind to say to yourself “get up and keep going” to do things that you probably don’t like too much. But you still do it because you can see and love the big picture. (these can be applied to any profession or activity)

DISCIPLINE AND PERSISTENCE

This is the last thing I would add. “Jumping from the Abyss and eating that glass, over and over again.”

We all know the importance and the results of it but is just about the hardest thing in the world.

Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint.

Photo by Isaac Wendland on Unsplash

HOW TO KEEP GOING

First of all, I’m really trying to change my posts to less gloomy or less confronting, but this one is not the case. So, don’t get discouraged by anything or anyone.

Take some time and analyze if this is for you, make a decision and then just go and DO THE WORK, put the hours in, and get your own definition of success because YOU CAN!

Here are some tips you can apply:

Be patient, be consistent, and build momentum each day.
It’s OK to not have all the answers.
Find your balance.
Always go back to the why.

July 9, 2021