How to try to create a startup when you are young and dumb ?

Why do young people lack guts ?

When you’re a student, entrepreneurship seems so attractive : total freedom, listening to no one but yourself, making the important decisions, meeting new awesome people, it looks like the best job ever.

But only a few young people actually go for it… Why ? Maybe, because we feel dumb. I don’t mean dumb the wrong way, like stupid. I mean dumb, more like ignorant. We lack professional experience and specific skills. So to compensate our professional ignorance, we apply for great internship in big companies. And we are happy because we have a name on our resume.

I used to think exactly like that. But a few months ago, I met a serial entrepreneur who pulled me out of my comfort zone. Here is what I’ve learned, and it wasn’t easy to accept it.

If you’re ignorant, it’s your fault.

I’m a student in a great business school in France and I don’t consider myself ignorant. So when I was on my way to meet the serial entrepeneur, I was pretty confident.

He asked me so many things : “Do you know this… and that…”, “Are you aware of this new movement, change…”, “Have you already been to this conference, formation…”. And I was exactly like Jon Snow, I knew nothing…

When I replied that it wasn’t my fault, that I haven’t learned those things at school ! He was almost shocked. If you want to be an entrepreneur or anything else actually, you have to learn by yourself and grow up !

Don’t be ashamed of yourself

So now you feel a little stupid because you’ve realized that you don’t know a lot and that’s mostly your fault. But despite this lack of confidence, you have to trust yourself ! Which is pretty paradoxal, I agree.

First of all, don’t worry, it’s easy to catch up on your delay when you are motivated. You just have to be more curious and aware of all the articles, newsletters, events that take place around you.

Second of all, the first step into this new entrepreneurial world might be hard but the second step is so much easier ! You will learn fast and you will meet new people who will be happy to help you.

Don’t be ashamed of your lack of knowledge and ask every question you can think of, otherwise you won’t learn. No one will judge you for wanting to learn !

Conclusion

If you dream of something, you can’t blame anyone but yourself for not having the guts to try it.

Maybe it’s just something that you think might be good for you, but actually isn’t. In that case, you’ll know and you’ll look for something else. But maybe it’s the thing for you ! So don’t miss the chance.

So young and dumb, no. But young and bold, yes !

Lorène Vignaud, co-founder of La part du gâteau https://fr.linkedin.com/pub/lorène-vignaud/a4/b2/468

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