Posts filed under ‘08. The Companions on the Journey’
ARE YOUR START-UP IDEAS REALLY GOOD ENOUGH?
So many of us have the “entrepreneurial itch” – that yearning to create something new, that inner voice that says, “I would love to start something on my own, to build a company from scratch, to create a business that will make a big difference.”
The hard part is identifying the right opportunity. And that identification is crucial. Of course, we would all like to have the perfect concept that no one has thought about before and is just what the market wants. But perhaps even more importantly, we need an idea that we truly and deeply believe in, as this belief will define the totality of our dedication – through thick and thin – which is so essential to the chances for success of a new venture.
This hungry hunt for the perfect business concept seems to haunt many of the business school students I have been meeting lately. In part, it is set up by some of the business school programs themselves, especially those that require coming up with a concept and developing and defending a business plan. Also, many students feel that their own startup is the ideal next career path upon graduation.
So what is the secret? What does it take to find the right opportunity? Which of your many great ideas is the right one?
The reality, in my experience: The process of finding an opportunity is slow and painful. But pain may be necessary before you really know you have uncovered the right path. Many ideas that appear compelling on the surface, fizzle on further scrutiny. Markets may look very exciting at first, especially when we do not know much about them. And some of us are very good at creating a whole storyline around why an idea ought to be the best thing since the discovery of fire, on the basis of only a few observations. When we dig deeper, we find either that what we so cleverly conceived of as new has already been done, or that the task is much more complicated than we thought. Of course there is nothing wrong with hurdles, which many of us love because they represent challenges to overcome, as well as opportunities to innovate. But it helps to know the terrain before we take the leap.
The message in Malcom Gladwell’s Outliers should be heeded: It takes 10,000 hours. It is only when we have been immersed seriously in a market or industry that we really understand both the opportunities and how to make the most of them. This is a disheartening message for a young 29-year-old just finishing his or her MBA at a prestigious school, surrounded by brilliant and ambitious people, and feeling the world is in his or her hands — specially when they see news like today’s Google bid for Groupon, and its 30-year-old founder, Andrew Mason. The Masons and Zuckerbergs of this world are few and far between. But do not be disheartened, I have a consolation to offer: You do not have to be the visionary who can “see” the future. You just have to make sure you make that visionary one of your companions on the journey. And if you haven’t put in the time yourself, your visionary had better have the 10,000 hours under his or her belt.
The challenge of finding close business companions
The other topic in the book discussion on April 25th was prompted by Letter 8, “The Companions in the Journey,” where I talk about the joy – and necessity – of having a close partner in the entrepreneurial adventure. Several in our discussion group pointed out how difficult it was for them to find a lasting partner. They argued that ego and the need for control got in their way time and time again (probably their own as well as potential partners.) Nevertheless, I still feel that a close relationship with someone who complements our weaknesses and shortcomings is essential for success, and that all leaders must make an effort to find those close companions on the journey. The challenge is how to indentify them, and, when we do, how to make them feel like more than just employees or “associates” but true co-drivers of the company’s future. I would love to hear what you have found works – or does not – in making this happen.
WELCOME TO A CONVERSATION about “Letters to a Young Entrepreneur”
In Letters to a Young Entrepreneur I have shared with you some of the highlights of my entrepreneurial journey. Here I very much welcome your comments, critique, suggestions, and, most importantly, sharing of your own experiences and insights.
My hope is that through this dialogue we all benefit from our common entrepreneurial adventure, and perhaps provide some new approaches to the challenges we all face as we embody our dream.
