Founders’ Pilgrimage
Entrepreneurship is an arduous journey, and we can say this with authority having dealt with hundreds of entrepreneurs. Our own team comprises entrepreneurs and startup folks who have walked that path and have their own experiences to share. One wonders about what motivates entrepreneurs to walk this difficult path. Suffice to say, as much as the security of a well-paying job comforts some people, others enjoy the constant rush of a business. Some are risk-averse and peace-seeking, while others cannot think of a day without the thrill and high stakes that come along the entrepreneurial journey.
As always, there is no one path that is better or worse. Only different.
The rationale entrepreneurs give themselves for adopting such a lifestyle play a crucial role. Sometimes it is the desire to run or own their own business, follow a passion, solve
some problem or at times, simple, straightforward financial gains set them on this path. It can also be a mix of any of these or something totally different. These driving factors for why individuals become entrepreneurs determine their journeys and outcomes. Entrepreneurs’ objective percolates into their working style and attitude and further augments or detracts their progress. Somewhere along their gruelling path, the lustre of following one’s passion may fade off, given that the journey is a challenging as things get. Such unpleasant scenarios typically play out when ventures flounder or are failing. And eventually, just like that, the character exposing traits mentioned above come into play. Founders grit, values, attitudes, and agility are all tested. At this stage, when you ask a founder what is it that keeps them going, it can be any one of the above factors, but most frequently, it is simply their inability to move on - Inertia. In hindsight, it can be concluded whether it was their inability to move on from a failing venture or their grit to keep pursuing it. But when they are in the throes of it on a daily basis, living the consequences of their decisions, big and small, it is not so black and white. Let’s just say that an entrepreneurs journey is no mean feat by any stretch of the imagination for the uninitiated.
Founders’ journeys are many a time lonely unless they have a reliable co-founder or mentor. Their days are replete with many decisions that become building blocks of the outcome and ultimately chart the path to their destiny. Something as fundamental to their business as their business model itself goes through multiple iterations, and the company keeps evolving into a new form for a while. Such is the dynamism and volatility that forms part of a founders daily challenge even as the overall stakes keep getting higher; of eventual profits or losses.
Some believe that only an unbiased view of an outsider can provide a proper understanding of the founder and their motivation. However, the point of view of an outsider can hardly paint a clear picture. The intricacies of the ability and intentions of the founder and the dynamic external factors combine to pose a probability event with infinite outcomes. To an outsider, it may seem like entrepreneurs are built this way. In our experience, this journey usually starts as a function of an individuals personality type but over the long run, many other factors like perseverance, versatility, decisiveness and the like come into play. None of these factors is single-handedly more pertinent than the others. As time goes by, a concoction of these factors superimposed with the chance aspects of life tests some of these traits more. In essence, a blend of these live-wire factors and personality traits, when mixed with the high-powered entrepreneurial grind, creates a lovely canvas for an enchanting journey. It is nigh impossible for outsiders to judge them. It isn’t easy to walk in their shoes if you already haven’t.
From our vantage point, we only have one piece of advice - find yourself, find your style and achieve glory.