How to be an unsuccessful founder? (And/or how not to be.)
Why am writing this?
I work at www.idealoftstudio.com. (Edit: Founder @ Idealoft)
Before this, I tried working on a fashion e-commerce start-up idea. I failed. No! I haven’t given up just yet (I have just started out). But there are most definitely things that I have been messing up. The number of things that I have learned working on my ideas has been insane!
So I thought I should write an article and actually put this out for you to read and probably be aware of? or relate to? or just to share?
1 of 6: By thinking it’s a ‘lone wolf’ journey
It sort of is, but that’s not the entire story, there’s more to it. There are a lot of people who might not be your co-founders or team members but are helping you build your brand. It could be your immediate family who understands what you are doing or that distant relative who tries to give you advice on how this (Read: You) is disappointing and the whole start-up thing is lame(*rolls eyes*). Well, just know that you have imagined a journey and you have every right to try and achieve it. And you don’t HAVE to HAVE a struggle story that breaks everyone’s heart or live like a lone wolf because that seems like to be the trend with every start up founder. Isolation is a great thing. Companionship could be amazing too. But to sum everything up it doesn’t have to be a sad story (Mainly because it is not one).
2 of 6: By just skimming through articles. When you should be reading every word.
I still face this problem (sometimes). I am sort of restless. I love working at a certain speed and as a result, careless mistakes has always been my problem (or when I speak, I fumble. 5000 times. Because I think faster than I speak. Words fail me. Or vice versa?). Sometimes, I try taking the short cut and skim through articles. There have been times when I have missed out on the most important point. But don’t skim. It wouldn’t help. I have been working on this. The conscious effort of speaking slowly when I talk to people and also reading every word when I am reading an article (sometimes even making notes.)
3 of 6: By reading listicles on improving your life + Self Bashing
To read too much into articles/ listicles that talk about- How to be a successful founder? or likes (Like this one too)+ Self-bashing= Disaster. Well, I believe everyone has their own share of stories and battles and versions. Let’s not generalize. You may want to get a basic idea and understand what worked (or did not work) for people and understand the context rather than trying to live their life.
4 of 6: By not having a routine
I cannot really tell you what routine would work for you. What works for me is to clean my workspace, feel fresh, make my daily notes and stick them nicely in front of me, have everything that I would need for the entire day kept in a proper organized way (I have mild OCD. I googled. I genuinely believe it. It’s not always fun.) And this is something I do before starting my day. EVERYDAY. (I like working long hours and take breaks which involve Doodling- My Instagram account for doodles).
5 of 6: By comparing your life to others+ Self Bashing- Self Confidence= Don’t.
Ok. This is probably something I do. I confess. But I shouldn’t be doing it. You can compare your past and present and design a future. You could learn from other people, brands, or things. But keep that at that, don’t self-bash and feel like crap (and then believe what the distant relative we spoke about earlier has said- Ref point 1of 6). Remember, everyone has their stories and no two stories can be the same.
Last point: By believing every word and thought an investor, mentor, or guide tells you.
No, I don’t want to put anyone down. I think investors, mentors, or guides are extremely important for the growth of any idea/brand. But, sometimes what other people who actually genuinely matter say something, we tend to look at it so closely that it gets blurred (Metaphorically speaking- Make a dot on board and bring it so close to your eyes that your head hurt and the dot is just a blur) besides, I really connect with this: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act- (Scaling Ambition: 9 Lessons from Reid Hoffman) by Entrepreneur First.
Fin.
