Building momentum in the early days of a startup
Taking responsibility for the fits and starts of progressing a startup or side hustle
About 10 months ago I started working on my new startup as a side hustle in addition to my digital consulting work for clients. After about 8 months of work I made the decision to take a pause with my client work, and focus exclusively on my startup for 6–12 months to give it a real opportunity for success (as of the date of publishing this article, I’m two months into that timeline). Since making the decision to focus exclusively on my new company, I’ve seen it progress forward in fits and starts, but definitely not with the level of momentum that I wanted. As I’m an optimist, I often think I can accomplish more than is realistic in a given timeframe, but the varied progress rate caused me to pause and think about what has caused this variability. The answer was quite simple…ME!
I am responsible [full stop]
It seems so blatantly obvious when I write it now, but when you come from an established business or academic structure, there is a natural momentum to your work that does not exist in a brand new company. Depending on your level within the organization or institution that momentum could come from many different places:
- As an employee: the momentum comes from your company’s leaders as well as the expectations of the customers you interact with.
- As a leader: the momentum comes from your employees who depend on you for their job stability, as well as customers who expect you to provide them with valuable services or products.
- As a student: the momentum comes from the structure of the institution, the deadlines set by your teachers, and possibly the expectations of yourself, your parents or other leadership figures in your life.
From the lowest level employee to the CEO, once a company is operating with a certain momentum, the car will continue to move forward, at least for a while, even if you pull your foot off the gas pedal. If you’ve worked or led a bigger company, you’ve likely had days or weeks that you’ve just coasted, content in the fact that you can reengage tomorrow or next week, and things won’t blow up too badly before you do. In the startup world though, there are too many counter-acting factors in the early stages of the company that mean the second you take your foot off the gas, you might as well have slammed on the brakes.
“There is a simple realization from which all personal improvement and growth emerges. This is the realization that we, individually, are responsible for everything in our lives, no matter the external circumstances…The more we choose to accept responsibility in our lives, the more power we will exercise over our lives.” — Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Over the past few years, I’ve tried to live by the statement from Mark Manson above. Accepting the idea that I truly have control over my actions and reactions in every circumstance is incredibly empowering, but it’s also scary…there is literally no one else to blame other than me. I then realized when looking back on the past 10 months, that by deciding to start my own company, this statement was more applicable than ever to the success or failure of not only my personal career, but the success of my company and those who work for me.
Deciding whether or not to take the plunge
Many people, myself included, say that they want to start their own company or side hustle as they look at the attractive profits to be made and the flexible work life. As I wade forward in the murky waters of a new company though, I realize more and more that it is not for the faint of heart! If you’re trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge, I’d challenge you to ask the question:
Am I truly ready to accept and own the responsibility for any outcome?
This is not a simple question, and if you think it is, then you’re not getting the depth of power that comes from taking control of your own life; any outcome means failure as well as success. If you’re not sure, then I’d recommend practicing taking responsibility for the actions and outcomes in other parts of your life. If you repeatedly find yourself blaming others for your issues or reactions, you’re not ready.
Keeping the momentum to move forward
I won’t lie, there are many days that I have more doubts than certainty about the path ahead, but I’ve worked out a few methods for dealing with this issue:
- Focusing on the end-game: I know that the next 6 months are going to be the hardest to keep the momentum, as they are the earliest stages of the company. I also believe there is a breaking point ahead and each day I am pushing on the gas pedal is an investment into reaching that natural momentum.
- Believing in my vision: I repeatedly ask myself the question of whether or not I believe in my vision, and the answer is continually “yes.” There are complexities in getting from where I am to where I want to go, but if I break it down into enough small problems to solve, then eventually we will achieve the bigger goal.
- Accepting the unknown: to keep with the car analogy, there will be obstacles along the way, but the question is whether or not I keep driving over and around them, or stop in fear of the crash. I’ve now accepted that there are plenty of things I do not know, and have started a “Just f***ing figure it out” list, knowing that I can either learn or hire the skills that I need to overcome these obstacles.
- Giving up is not an option: It’s important to note that this bullet point does not state “failure is not an option” but rather “giving up is not an option.” This is a tool I used in university to get me through exams and difficult periods. The underlying question I have to ask myself is “if I threw in the towel, could I forgive myself for it?” This may seem a bit harsh, but I’ve committed myself to giving this company and my vision a real shot, and failure is only an option if I can say that I left everything on the court.
- Ask for help: I’m proud, there’s no question of it, but I have been overwhelmed by the response from my professional and personal network with offers to help as I find my way through this new venture. There are also an infinite number of tools available online and in local start-up communities, so I continue challenge myself to get out there and ask for help when I encounter an obstacle I don’t know how to solve.
