3 Things That Won’t Happen When You Launch Your Own Business
Call TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal, and Shape Magazine! You just launched your hot new workout program…
or killer app…
or was it that revolutionary fitness tracker that also mines bitcoins?
Well, after 14 challenging months of trial and error, I too launched a new product. It’s a client messaging platform for fitness coaches called GOtivation. I had all sorts of crazy ideas about what launch day would be like.
(fade to dream sequence)
Celebrity fitness coaches and personal trainers — in a fit of wild frenzy — uncontrollably subscribe to our software. Some subscribe twice, just for good measure.
Social media platforms are bursting at the seams. Kim Kardashian’s magazine cover is now just a footnote in history as Mark Zuckerburg has to personally purchase thousands of servers to handle our ‘likes’. Oh, and he’s not happy about that.
Finally, a tidal wave of congratulatory messages overtakes our entire team. Venture capitalists, advisors, old co-workers, and even that one girl I had a huge crush on in high school send messages of elation and undying support. Complete with generous amounts of emoji’s (from the VC’s).
(fade back to reality)
I was dead wrong.
Instead, my launch day went like this.
I worked on a few final touches with my developers and thanked my amazing partners at LaunchDeck. I snuck out to a rare, work-day lunch with my wife. I said NOTHING about GOtivation to my friends.
No subscriptions, no headlines, and all social media platforms were left in tact.
So, if you have delusions of grandeur about your big business launch, here’s what won’t happen — and why that’s OK.
You’ll be an overnight success
It’s simple. Launch at 6pm. Wake up at 7am. Success by 10am.
Which sounds good until you realize “overnight success” is a myth. In fact, the vast majority of thriving businesses toiled under-the-radar for months, years, or decades before they got noticed. All their previous failures and sacrifices get glossed-over after they succeed. This seems to be especially true in the US, where failure is shamed and success-at-any-cost is lauded.
Besides, is overnight success even a good thing? Instant growth can be a killer.
A business partner of mine relayed this story about his first start-up. “We thought we had instant success. We got out of the gates with 3,000 downloads in ONE DAY!” he said. “Too bad we hadn’t found the critical flaw in our software first. All 3,000 users did…and immediately stopped using the app.”
Instead of expecting to be an overnight success, do as author Jason Fried says in his book, Rework - “Welcome Obscurity”
Your mistakes will only be seen by a few customers and you can correct them quickly. You can easily impress a handful of clients and not have to disappoint many. Supporters get behind obscure underdogs. They often turn on successful behemoths.
Look, we all like a little fame. Just re-calibrate how much you need. 1,000 die-hard fans are better than a fickle mob of millions.
You get to stop learning
Studying for certifications, learning how to code, training from other coaches; that education got you here. You’ve finally graduated! Just relax and start executing, right?
Okay, I’ll agree with on one part here. In one year as an entrepreneur, I’ve learned nearly as much as my 13 combined years as a professional. Your journey has taught you way more than you think. You’re smarter, savvier, and probably better looking (well, exhausted and better looking).
Guess what though? I still don’t know shit.
The Foo Fighters once sang, “This is our beginning. Comin’ to an end.”
Launching feels a lot like the end of the first chapter. If you want your story to continue, at a minimum, you need to keep learning and growing.
Instead of slowing down your pace of learning, tap into your new source of education: FEEDBACK
A co-worker of mine once shared a great quote with me. In a performance review, I mentioned that he was very open to coaching while a number of his peers were not. He said “Yep. I learned a while ago that ‘feedback is just feedback’. You can act on it or not, but you gotta listen.”
“Feedback is just feedback”
What you CAN’T do as a business owner is be deaf to it. It’s your greatest source of education once you’re finally offering a product or service. So start seeking more of it. Talk to your clients, ask tough questions, and prepare for tough answers.
You’ll receive raucous fanfare
Hundreds of texts, thousands of likes, and headlines galore. Fame is rolling in and you’ll hardly have time to reply to everyone. Hell, even your mom and dad will finally understand what your business does!
However, what once seemed crazy and daring (and still does to me), is something that happens nearly 1,400 times EVERY DAY in the US.
‘What about all those big stories I read on the news?’ you might ask. Well, some celebrity business owners or 9-figure-backed Silicon Valley start-ups have enough money — or previous fame — to manufacture hype. Maybe they’ll network their way to the top of TechCrunch or secure a post on Oprah’s Twitter feed.
The other lucky few created something so unique and impactful — good or bad — that they broke the mold.
Your hype is going to come from two things. Getting your customers great results and being someone they like to work with. Yes, having great abs also helps, but that’s probably a little specific to my industry.
Instead of raucous fanfare, be proud of what you’ve accomplished and ride the momentum.
Pour yourself a glass of prosecco (not champagne…you’re probably still pre-revenue) . Write a self-congratulatory post on Facebook. Make an excuse to grab dinner at a classy restaurant. You earned it! Reinforce the hard work and grit that got you this far. Know that it’ll get you farther.
Oh, and don’t forget to thank the mentors, friends, and family that helped you along the way. No one does this alone.
So will you be disappointed?
Strangely enough, I was content being wrong about my big launch day. I reflected on my progress and was just happy to have actually created something. And when you finally launch your business or product, I think you will be too.
If you still crave a little extra fanfare though, send me a message. I’ll happily write an encouraging comment on your big launch post — I promise.
