HERE'S WHERE YOU START

"It's not about ideas, it's about making ideas happen."

Scott Belsky

American entrepreneur/founder Behance, Inc.

Ideas are a dime a dozen, maybe a quarter adjusted for inflation.

Planning, execution, hard work make the idea worth something.

A REVOLUTIONARY THOUGHT

"Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind."

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) U.S. poet/essayist/lecturer.

Not all revolutions succeed but none of those only thought, never began, ever will.

What is your revolution?

FREE TO NOT BE

"So free we seem, so fettered we are!"

Robert Browning (1812 -1889) British poet.

I am an entrepreneur, now having worked much longer in my own companies than those owned by others.

I can tell you without hesitation, what Mr. Browning says is true.

Start your own company if you like.

But do so understanding that no matter how things turn out you will have only traded one bondage for another.

WE ALL HAVE BOSSES

"Liberation is not deliverance."

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) French poet, dramatist and novelist.

So, now that you no longer work for someone else, have started your start-up and reviewed your list of "truths", make certain believing you are free is not on the list.

You've simply traded one master for many, many others.

START-UPERS; ARE YOU LISTENING?

"Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose."

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) British politician and author.

Start-up entrepreneurs, do not make the mistake of only believing the first 9 words without also believing the last 12.

Both are equally true for those attempting a start-up.

Your will can conquer as long as it, and you, are willing to accept the cost as being absolutely everything you hold dear, right down to the garage you start-up'd in.

AS YOU START UP . . .

"Faith lives in honest doubt."

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) British poet.

You should never expect others to believe in your start-up if you don't, but that doesn't mean you can't have your own doubts.

It's healthy for you to identify the uncertainties that are part of any new venture.

Identify them, create your plan for dealing with them, and make that a part of what you share with those whose investment you seek.

THE PERILS OF PARTIAL ENTRENEURISM

"Definition of an entrepreneur: One who is willing to live a few years like most people won't, so they can live the rest of their life like most people can't."

Unknown

One of the best partial descriptions of an entrepreneur I've ever come across.

However if you're contemplating doing something on your own or with others, with none of you having attempted a startup before, beware!

It is only a partial description alluding to the good stuff.

There's good reason most people won't try what you're thinking of doing.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't try; only admonishment to get experienced help before you begin.

FAIL ONLY WHEN SUCCESS IS NO LONGER AN OPTION

"Beauty is a short-lived tyranny."

Socrates (BC 469-BC 399) Greek philosopher of Athens

A better description of how most initially feel about their start-up I can't imagine.

We wouldn't be doing it if we didn't think it worthy.

But then reality sets in at which point many efforts stop.

Balance.

The fact that what you're attempting is probably not as good as you think doesn't mean it isn't worth the effort.

NOT ALONE

"One aged man -- one man -- can't fill a house."

Robert Frost (1875-1963) American Poet.

Substitute "startup" for "house" and this works just as well, regardless of whether or not the man is aged.

One woman too.

THE ONLY SURE THING: THERE ARE NO SURE THINGS

"What men want is not knowledge, but certainty."

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) British logician/philosopher

And no men (women too) want this more than venture capitalists whose job it is to invest in as sure things as possible.

If you're looking for institutional investment, don't worry; they know there's no such thing as a sure thing.

However, they want to know you know that too.

PAY ATTENTION START-UPS

"You believe easily that which you hope for earnestly."

Terence (195/185 BC-159 BC) Roman Republic playwright

The more you want something the more you should question the validity of what makes you want it.

It may be real, often it's not.

Be sure which it is.

IF IT WERE EASY, WOULD IT STILL BE WORTH IT?

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; 'Tis dearness only that gives everything its value."

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) English intellectual

Well to remember this if you are just beginning a start-up. 

It will involve conflict, it will not be easy, all of which will make the hard fought triumph, should you succeed, all that more glorious.

DIGGING DOWN DEEP

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant."

Horace (BC 65-8) Latin lyric poet

Your "silver lining" the next time you face difficult circumstances.

ONLY WHAT YOU SEE, ONLY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW?

"The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend."

Henri Bergson (1859-1941) French philosopher

You can also reverse this (the mind comprehends only what the eye can see), and considering both you should understand the main obstacle to innovation.

When you only see what you already know, and when you only know what you can see, you live in a very limited space.

ACCIDENTAL SUCCESS: THE OXYIEST OF ALL MORONS

"The method of the enterprising is to plan with audacity and execute with vigor."

Christian Nevell Bovee

19th century American author/lawyer

However, rarely is one done not to mention both.

Successes are much rarer than failures for good reason.

On Your Own

"Traveler, there is no path, paths are made by walking."

Antonio Machado

Early 20th century Spanish poet

Suggested by Paula Johnson

There are paths made by others we can choose to follow.

Take the ones best suited to you while always being receptive to the idea of making your own.

Always?

"The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it and exploits it as an opportunity."

Peter Drucker

20th century American business writer/consultant

Not quite, not if we're going to equate all entrepreneurs with success as this quote appears to do.

Many more fail to do this ("exploits it as an opportunity") than the number who succeed.

But it is the entrepreneurially inclined who get all the headlines when they do so successfully so accept the quote intent if not always the outcome.

Who Owns You?

"So free we seem, so fettered we are."

Robert Browning

19th century British poet

How true whether you work for yourself or someone else.

We all owe someone something.

Stormy Seas

"He that will learn to pray, let him go to sea."

George Herbert

17th century British poet

Thinking of starting your own business?

Anarchist or Entrepreneur?

"Any fool can make a rule and every fool will mind it."

Henry David Thoreau

19th century American naturalist/philosopher

True, but without rules we have anarchy.

The trick is to find balance between the need for structure and the benefit that comes from entrepreneurial thinking and behavior.

How do you do that?

(A great discussion on this comes from Clayton Christensen's "The Innovator's Dilemma".)