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. 

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.

Traits of a successful entreprenuer

Here’s something I wish more people talked about: Entrepreneurship is SO MUCH more than starting a business.

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.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, I share more about my journey in this blog post and  this episode of Elijah Murray’s podcast. 

If you’ve got a podcast that covers tech, entrepreneurship, or business I’d love to chat!