The hype of startups: The moment I type in startups in google, I can see hundreds of articles about successful billionaires, fancy jets and massive fund raises. Very little is said about how many of these are real and the how many hypothesized. Regardless, it does provide us with an excitement and much needed energy to pursue the dream of a startup.
Naturally it is very easy to be swept up in this hype dive straight into this zone of attention. There is however, a much larger goal at stake and this is where I found the quote below makes so much sense
Ignore the hype of the startups that you see in the press. Mostly, it’s a pack of lies. Half of these startups will be dead in a year. So, focus on building your business so you can be the one left standing.
-Jules Pieri, Co-founder and CEO of The Grommet
Motivation to build a startup
This is where it always comes down to the basics. Why do you really want to run a business? Personally, it has been two businesses for me, both of them for very different reasons.
The first one was purely for the passion of it. I loved the energy of being in a tourism sector, I could feel the value add at each stage and gave me the fulfillment of contributing something to the local economy.
The second one was a pure software venture. In this scenario, the idea of passion took a backseat, it was a commercial project with a software focusing on B2B solution.
I certainly learnt a lot in this business, but somewhere, I could see myself being swept away in the charm of the big numbers, millions and fundraisers, investors – all the magic numbers.
Strategy and Business plan to build your startup
I’d read somewhere, if you know the why – the how will always appear. To be brutally honest, I believe I had a stronger why for the first business compared to the second one. Not that it resulted in a lack of energy, but it certainly had its influence in the process. To build a startup, you must focus on the long term results, growth and how your product’s use advances. Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of creating a small business instead of a startup. Read more: Startup Vs small business differences.
The how was a lot more complicated in an inorganic business where we had so much to prove to the investors, customers and people who had spent their time on us. I could feel a surge of pressure over my head.I certainly accept the fact that some people thrive under such scenario, but it wasn’t particularly my key area of strength.
Then again, the question HOW kept rattling and the constant challenge was to separate myself out from the hype of startups.
Creating a network for startup
Your network plays a huge role in the environment of your startup. Being a part of the network where this idea was hugely promoted and supported, it did give us an opportunity of being in the limelight.
The amount of attention we got was immense and it was beautiful to an extent. It is almost the feeling of a rock-star with the attention you get from the crowd. But each time I did get this, I could find a scream within which kept saying – “YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO MY FRIEND”
Truth of the matter is – the scream was always right. If I look back now, for my personality, a startup would’ve been an organic experience where I’d like to spend more time with my customers, understand the needs and provide a solution which makes a difference.
Over time, if we keep our heads down, constantly keep adding value to our clients – there is every reason for a business to succeed. It may sound like a lot of philosophical advice, but my experiences sure have led me this way.
If the aim is to build a lasting business which can create an impact, it is quintessential to stay away from the hype of startups and start looking where we can make a difference.
