A Leap Into the Startup Life
This is guest post by GainesvilleScene’s Morgan Jenkins.
As a systematic, at times organizationally neurotic human being, I had more than a handful of doubts after agreeing to delve into the constantly evolving startup world a mere week after turning my tassel at the University of Florida. Like the vast majority of my peers, graduation served as less of a gentle transition into the real world and more of an aggressive shove toward a terrifying realm of economic independence, financial stress and an unfathomably small job market.
I was inevitably scarred about the pothole clad road ahead, and truth be told, accepting a title-less position with media starter CollegeVox didn’t pacify my stifling right of passage into adulthood.
My perception of the startup game was reliant upon a half-conscious viewing of “The Social Network”, the adult community’s doubtful whispers of limited funding and a less than encouraging rate of overall success. In my head, this competitive sector of the job world seemed way too rapid and technologically centered for a right-brained novice like me to contribute toward.
What could I possibly do to, in essence, form a company? How would my creative and communicative skills hold a candle to those of coding and engineering that have driven the triumph of companies like Google and Apple? How long would I be able to play my “business internship experience” card before my superiors began to call my bluff? I was terrified of cannonballing into such uncharted waters, and even more panicked about what I could bring to the table.
Today, after a mere few hours of my official employment for CollegeVox, I continue to type with a daunting fear of the unknown. However, my perception also grows more optimistic with every unique project and capitalistic idea that bombards my train of thought.
Fear is gradually being replaced with confidence in my abilities and the excitement of developing the blueprint for a potential success. I don’t know everything about sales pitches, integrated marketing strategies or unpredictable budgeting but I am eager to learn, evolve and most importantly, create.
At the end of the day, it’s the risk-takers that change the way things are done and sometimes, it takes a push into uncharted waters to have the confidence to sink or swim.
