Making it Happen
Startups are hard. Most of you know this and if you don’t, you’re not working hard enough. There’s a ton of work that goes into every business you see. From early morning donut making to late night hacking and hustling. Hard work is only the beginning.
How much are you willing to sacrifice? Will you be able to give up your favourite hobby? Watch less or no TV or sports? How far will you go? How serious are you about success? Are you willing to work 60 plus hours a week? I believe you have to do this and more to compete in the tech startup space.
This ain’t a walk in the park. Most startups fail. I absolutely loved Dave McClure’s keynote teaser at Startup Festival. It was like drinking a triple espresso chased by a Red Bull. I felt energized to say the least. It spoke volumes to me because it’s true and you better be ready for battle.
The truth is, it’s an unfair world. You’re swimming with sharks and you’ll be eaten alive if not careful. Being aggressively competitive isn’t enough. You need to be hustlin’ and hackin’ till you’re in real pain. And then after you’ve had the shit kicked out of you, get up off the canvas and come out swingin’
It’s a lot like a fight now that I think of it. It happens really fast and there’s usually a winner. Who doesn’t want to win? In order to win you’ll need some training and some luck. Experience goes along way too. I totally get a VC preferring to back a young startup that has already failed.
Failure will teach you a lot. Hopefully you learn enough to not let it happen again. In the end, you just need to make it happen. By any means necessary. Whether that means selling some of your possessions or taking out a loan you can’t really afford. If you believe, you gotta go all the way. You can’t be half pregnant. If you think you’re onto the next big thing and can change some lives. Fucking do it.
I had to drop the f-bomb in respect for my unofficial mentor Dave McClure. To Dave and all other startup supporters - you are the wind beneath our wings. Sorry for the cheese, but had to do it.
