Starting a Business? Get Used to These 4 Questions

Starting a business is much more than a career move - it's a lifestyle change. As with any lifestyle change, it can be tricky telling family and friends that you’re embarking on launching a business. Most people don’t have parents, siblings and close friends working on startups, nor a long history of entrepreneurship. This makes explaining what you’re thinking of doing one of the toughest pitches you’ll ever have to make.

Even a side project will garner mixed reactions from those closest, and often those who you usually consider most supportive. They want nothing more than to see you succeed, of course - but that doesn’t stop them from having concerns. Often these responses might make you question what you’re doing - but don't let your confidence waver. Instead, think things through, feel out the answer you believe, and answer with strength. You've got work to do.

If it was a good idea, wouldn't someone have done it already?

This has to be one of my personal favorites. Society has conditioned people to think of startup founders (especially in tech) as whizz-kid geniuses who make an app in their bedroom, often making millions in the overnight process before being headhunted by NASA. Or what about that social media blogger that sold her empire for millions at 18 years old and retired on a yacht?

These are the stories that make the headlines - and unfortunately these are the stories that leave everyone else feeling like they’re not smart enough to start a product or business. Everyone is capable of building a successful business, including you.

If your idea truly hasn't been built before, consider why: is the market big enough? Is the timing right? Are you the person who can build the solution? Have 3 Yes's? Better start building.

But what if it fails?

Statistically speaking it probably will fail - though you don’t need to tell them that! But it's true that without failure there can be no innovation.

Failure has become an acceptable and often insightful part of life in the startup world, though society still has some catching up to do. Remember, your friends say this because they care about you. They want you to be happy and seeing something you’ve worked tirelessly to build come crashing down around you is brutal. It's not that they don't believe in your capabilities at all, it's just that they don't want to see you suffer. Take it as a compliment.

As you do, think of the things you'll be learning as part of this journey, and how this will set you up for success in the future.

Isn’t it going to be hard?

Yes, very. It will take up a lot of your time and energy. It can be tough, mentally and emotionally draining at times, but it’s not called the Startup Grind for nothing! If it was easy it would not be worth doing and the satisfaction that comes from succeeding at something so challenging will make it all worth it.

As the quote goes, "Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” 

Wouldn’t you rather just have a secure normal job?

This generally comes from the older generations who were brought up thinking you go to college and get a good job. You then work hard, moving up the ranks till you retire with a nice pension.

Times have have moved on and no one’s job is ‘secure’ these days. So really creating your own job offers more security than not.


What have you been hearing on your own journey? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion with #StartupGrind on Twitter or Facebook.