Why entrepreneurship is the f*cking toughest profession
“Son, when you grow up, you must pursue the academic path”.
As the last born child of a Vietnamese immigrant family - and the only Danish born - I’ve always been told that I should be greater and better than my siblings, who came to Denmark in their late teenage years. Despite their background, they later got professions as a pharmacist, an engineer and a tailor - all highly recognized in their professional fields. But because of greater privileges, better results were expected of me. To get good grades, attend at university, get a degree, and then a powerful job at a respectable firm. But that was my family’s dream. Not mine.
Neglecting the passion
The dream of being an entrepreneur was disregarded. I wanted to make my family proud, especially my mother. I applied for a business education at the university and got accepted.
5:00 in the morning. The alarm clock rang and off I was. 6:15 at the railway station. An one and a half hour trip was waiting for me. When I arrived, I had 8 hours of lectures and teamwork on the schedule. This was my everyday ritual until late November, where I just couldn’t keep it together anymore. I execrated the trip, and every single minute I spend at the university. I felt horrible.
After I passed the first examination, I used a few days to clear my mind and asked this one question: “Is this what makes you happy?”. I really didn’t have to think a lot, because I’ve always known what I wanted. The thing that really took my mind was the fact that my decision would disappoint my family. I told my mother and the rest of the family that I had to drop out of the university in order to pursue what would make me happy - entrepreneurship.
They were unhappy with my decision but surprisingly supportive about the new adventure. In these few days, I crafted a small list of some goals and rules as guidelines for my future:
- Earn at least 10,000 DKK a month (approximately 1,400 €), which is the minimum amount needed to provide for myself.
- Never do something that would make me feel miserable.
- Create projects that makes me proud and not other people.
- Be persistent and do whatever it takes to not lose important battles.
Climbing the ladder
The beginning of my entrepreneurial career was really tough and crucial. For the first eight months, I worked more than 60 hours every week on different projects for a salary close to zero. Mostly it was consulting work for another IT firm, where I was promised a partnership. I eventually abandoned this firm due to mismatches in the negotiations, and I realized that the person behind the company would never offer me the partnership. So I got on my own legs and went solo.
After ending the cooperation with the old firm, I worked even harder than before. The days were draining. In the daytime, I would make up a list of potential clients in my area, canvas-call them to set up meetings, get suited up and go to my appointments. In the evening, I would work on my clients’ projects till past midnight.
All days were totally packed up, because I had to complete all the tasks single-handed. Often between 12 and 15 hours a day - weekends included. That was my everyday.
Sh*t! Do I have enough money for next month?
This was a major stress factor in the first two years. Constantly being afraid of not having enough money to pay rent and buy food. A bank account which chronically was close to red numbers. Can you imagine that? As an entrepreneur, you don’t have a safety net that you’ll find like in most other jobs. Sleepless nights because of the fear of not making it. I dealt with that, without anyone having an idea about my economical situation, and I was way to proud to ask my family for support.
“So how is business? Are you a millionaire yet?!”
Not only was it a rough start for my business but girlfriend, friends, and social engagement became more difficult. The pressure was enormous. Everyone were expecting a fast growing company for some reason, and when I told people that nothing big has been up since last week, they seemed kind of disappointed.
“The startup phase is just the beginning of a very long journey that can take decades to build up to a large scale.”
The thing is that there are a lot going on all the time in a startup company, but not everything is worth a conversation for non-entrepreneurs. I know people don’t give a sh*t about accountings, purchasing, and other boring corporate stuff. They want to hear actionpacked things you hear in “Suits”; like closing a major deal, hostile takeovers, or expansion to other countries. Unfortunately, not every day is like that.
As time went, I became more distant to people and more confidential with my business. I neglected all possible romantic relationships. I felt like nobody had a single clue about what was going on in my brain, besides maybe my businesspartners. My mind was constantly f*cked up with millions of things going on simultaneously, which often placed me in a stressed and depressed position.
At a point in a dark time, business was so poor that we’re close to go bankrupt. We even had a crisis meeting where we just looked at each other, and the only thing passing our minds was: “Maybe it’s time to just give up”. To be honest, being an entrepreneur is tougher than I’ve ever imagined.
Today
At the moment, I’m 23 years old and have been in the entrepreneurial game for almost 3 years, which at the same time have been exciting but also difficult years for me. And no, my partners and I haven’t reached a f*cking million euro company … yet. But we’ve build companies which currently are in growth. Companies we’re all very proud of:
- W4. Trading wristwatches in Denmark and soon Europe.
- Nativo. Digital agency providing web and app solutions.
- Condicio. Web system connecting freelancers and clients.
Everytime we successfully hand over a project to a client at Nativo, a customer tells me that Condicio is a genius system or we sell X amount of wristwatches at W4, I get a feeling that’s hard to fully explain. But probably a fusion of happiness, peace, and gratitude.
All the hard work and late nights in the past few years are finally paying off and I’m in a position where money isn’t my biggest fear anymore. Also social engagement is getting better by the time - eventually you’ll have find a way to balance all of it.
As it is today, I feel comfortable giving away some knowledge to upcoming entrepreneurs. So …
“Are you ready to be an entrepreneur?”
Have you ever asked yourself that particular question? The reality is that no one really can be 100% prepared to the entrepreneur life. On a weekly basis, I meet people who want to be entrepreneurs but don’t know if they should take the leap. For you people, here are some things you might consider before pulling the plug:
1. Don’t let money control you
When I was younger, I was reaching for the millions and a Lamborghini Gallardo. It was the only thing on my mind. But that was before I knew how tough it would be. I’m still aiming for a large and strong company that generates millions in revenue but it’s no longer the main reason for me to be an entrepreneur. Find your passion and be happy with it. Create something that would make you say: “Wauw, that’s just amazing! I want to show the world what I’ve made!”.
2. 80-hour work week
You might have heard this from some of your entrepreneur friends, and you might think it’s bullshit they say to make you feel sorry for them. It’s not. Pulling out 80 hours a week is pretty standard and almost expected from an entrepreneur.
Personally, I work from the morning to late night almost every day. Naturally with that kind of work schedule, you should expect fewer parties and social gatherings.
3. Mental pressure
Being an entrepreneur can be very difficult. While you’re working hard and building your startup company from zero, many of your friends will probably have a life that are really far away from yours. Therefore, expect that they’ll have trouble relating to you. In reality, entrepreneurs might be the only ones who truly understands you.
And at the same time, you want to prove to the world that you’re worth more than average, by announcing your success on social media. Let me tell you a thing. When I was 19 years old, I was published in the local newspaper. Later at age 21, I was in the regional news. And you know what? No one really gives a sh*t about your success. They’ll all say “Nice! You made it” and forget everything about it by next week. So don’t be obsessed with what other people think about your success. Just be contented with it and share it with close friends and family.
Oh, another thing in contrast to the above. People will remember your failures more than your success. Keep fighting and ignore the people who’re constantly pointing out your shortcomings.
4. Are you ready to sacrifice?
Do you want a girlfriend who works more than 80 hours a week? Probably not. So why should your hypothetical girlfriend be with you?
When you enter the world of entrepreneurship, you must be prepared to sacrifice some relationships and social gatherings. I don’t say that it’s impossible to have wild parties, many close friends, and a romantic relationship. But it’s sure difficult to have those things balanced in the early stage. Your company will always be your first priority.
5. Be honest with yourself
Last but definitely not least! Don’t be afraid to be yourself and have your own values. I often meet people who are constantly affected by their social groups and forget what makes them happy. While the majority of males in my age focus on the amount of girls they make in their span of life and wild parties, my focus stays on the amount of battles won in the business field. In the beginning it was not acceptable in my group of friends to have that perspective of life, but eventually they began to understand it.
One last thing: Be self conscious enough to be aware of your weaknesses and strengths. The moment you realize those things, you’ll accelerate faster than ever.
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