Every human being comes to existence with some pre-configured itches. The itchiest of them is to start something of your own. It can surface at any age under circumstance (could be necessity, a creative spark, frustration or sheer desperation). Whatever the reason, it surfaces for sure.
Some make it their life’s mission, while most bury it under layers of procrastination, fear and societal pressures.
As a late entrant, my advice is - Scratch that itch; pain or pleasure, it will definitely turn out to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Take those first few steps onto that start-up roller coaster and buckle up for the ride of your life.
Taking that initial plunge is the toughest part for most aspirants (including me). Having done that, today I am in a position to rip apart some of the commonly used excuses.
Excuse 1: You need to have business in your blood to be successful
If that holds true, half the billionaires in the world would be pushing paper in offices today. Business acumen is most definitely not genetic. It is the ability to understand the market, landscape, target audience and people in general. Studies say that only only a fraction of all Business School pass outs turn entrepreneurs (So much for injecting business acumen into the bloodstream). I believe everyone is born with the ability to start and run a business; it just needs to honed and sharpened over time.
Excuse 2: Not everyone can come up with a winning idea
Wrong! What is a winning idea? It is nothing but a solution that fulfills an unmet need. And there is no dearth of unmet needs on this planet. You don’t always have to be the person who builds the next Facebook or Amazon. You can be the guy who creates a low cost sanitary napkin for rural India or the guy making space flights a reality for the common man or the guy who is making public transport affordable for everyone. Some of them might seem audacious, but that’s the point. If you can't handle it in the head, you can never handle it in the real world.
Excuse 3: You need an angel, incubator, accelerator, VC, HNI etc. to run a successful business
A viable idea, conviction and seed money are all you need to start off with. The important thing to remember is anybody who invests money in your business is going to want something back. In early stages of your business, you might have to give off a chunk of your stake away to investors (given the valuations aren't very high). With that you lose control, your freedom and in a lot of cases, the very purpose of your business.
There is always a right time for everything; Build your business, acquire a customer base, enhance the brand value and then look for investments. Till then you can always look to your friends, parents and relatives to pitch in for seed money :). It is also important not to get carried away with all the "over the top" investment and valuation announcements in the press. Press on and make strides in your own journey.
Excuse 4: All that is good, but you need loads of luck!
Luck is such a loosely used word today. I believe in the phrase “Fortune favors the Brave”. You can’t be sitting around waiting for luck to come around and make you a million dollars. Luck is the culmination of consistent efforts against all odds. You have to take calculated risks at the right time and capitalize on conditions around you. Those who revel in this culture have luck at their beck and call. Those who don’t, keep praying for luck to come and sweep them off their feet. Nah Uh, not going to happen!
To sum up I would like to quote Ray Bradbury: "First you jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down"