The Startup Crusade: the Preface
I’m eighteen years old. I turn nineteen in about 10 days. I’m a business student at the University of Texas at Austin, and I am a first-time founder. Whether I fail or succeed, I’m going to document my journey in two series.
Both series will be extremely informal raw, and most likely grammatically incorrect, the point is that I will write how I think, and how I think is an integral component to these pieces.
The first series will be released iteratively, as I write it. This series will include some of what I do with my business, but mostly about how I’m growing emotionally, intellectually, and mentally. Series A will be a compilation of my thoughts, people or events that have influenced me, a lot will be written in past tense, because I have a lot bottled up inside just waiting to be shared. Series A will be fun, random, philosophical, thought provoking, inspirational, and elicit emotion. I can’t wait for you to read it.
The second series (Series X) will be released on three conditions:
1) My company gets bought or acquired
2) I build my company into a multimillion dollar business
3) I fail, and move on to something else
The first two are obvious, people are going to want to know how a full-time college student at a prestigious University built a successful company, and stayed in school. The last condition, that is failure, is something special. No, it is not my goal nor my intention to fail. But I know failing won’t be the end of my story, and I know the outcome of this venture won’t affect the value this series would offer.
For too long, the way we [entrepreneurs] learn is from those that have succeeded (or failed) before us. While those accounts are important, inspirational, and extremely helpful. I found one component that’s missing from all of these accounts. This component could change everything. This component is what I like to call the “perspective X.” Perspective X is the point of view people write articles in. Real-time, as it happens. Our immediate thoughts, and reflexive reactions. Having that documented is what I think is the X-factor. Wouldn’t you like to know what Steve Jobs was thinking while he was building the first Apple computer? Or what Bill Gates was thinking when he dropped out of college to build Microsoft? Sure, they can tell us, and they have told us. But, it’s all in retrospect. The outcomes of these ventures inadvertently affect the tone and attitude towards these past events. I want to know, how Steve Jobs felt when there was no certainty of success. Writing without certainty, I believe, is paramount to studying and creating your own successes off the backs of others. This however is just my hypothesis. We’ll see. If I’m being honest, this also a way for me to hold myself accountable. Some might think that I’m assuming people are going to want to read this, or that I’m assuming success.
I am not assuming success. I’m working toward it; I am hoping for it. But living under the assumption is what I am NOT doing. It’s not hubris, nor is it arrogance. Or in colloquial terms, this is not for clout. This is to:
1) Document my journey so over time I can see growth
2) Share with the world what I am doing, creating content, building a community and relationships with people
3) Get out the thoughts that jumbles my brain
4) And most importantly, giving me another obligation to hold myself accountable for the growth of my company.
This is the content from my twitter account where I first announced this idea. It might be a little repetitive but I think this is important to include in the first edition of this series.
I haven’t even mentioned much about who I am, and what my company actually does… I guess, just like me, you’ll have to wait and see.
But in the meantime, follow me here on Twitter @_NiaTheGreat, connect with me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nia-daughtry, check out my company’s Twitter @ProjectsxLoop.
Lastly, if you are a college student looking for alternative ways to make cash, look no further apply to be a Loop freelancer here: