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Que: Sometimes I get a feeling that I want to start my own business and fly freely. And while I know some smart friends who might join me, I still wonder whether I have the instincts and leadership required.
(Umair Malik, Islamabad, Pakistan.)
Ans: Forget for a moment your desire to fly free. Forget the “required” levels of instinct and leadership. And while you’re at it, forget your smart friends. To start a company, you need those things eventually. But first and foremost, you need a great idea. That doesn’t mean we want to discourage you or denigrate the entrepreneurial urge. To us, the gutsy individuals, who launch ventures, are some of the society’s biggest heroes. And yes, there are people who dump their day jobs, hunker down in a garage or spare bedroom with a bunch of friends, and then five years later, can be seen ringing the opening bell on Wall Street. But before you start visualising yourself in that picture and make the leap from stability to start-up, it probably makes sense to separate wishful thinking from the less-rosy realities that usually characterize the entrepreneurial experience. Let’s start with a favourite “wish” – you mention it right in your letter – that entrepreneurship grants independence.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Que: Sometimes I get a feeling that I want to start my own business and fly freely. And while I know some smart friends who might join me, I still wonder whether I have the instincts and leadership required.
(Umair Malik, Islamabad, Pakistan.)
Ans: Forget for a moment your desire to fly free. Forget the “required” levels of instinct and leadership. And while you’re at it, forget your smart friends. To start a company, you need those things eventually. But first and foremost, you need a great idea. That doesn’t mean we want to discourage you or denigrate the entrepreneurial urge. To us, the gutsy individuals, who launch ventures, are some of the society’s biggest heroes. And yes, there are people who dump their day jobs, hunker down in a garage or spare bedroom with a bunch of friends, and then five years later, can be seen ringing the opening bell on Wall Street. But before you start visualising yourself in that picture and make the leap from stability to start-up, it probably makes sense to separate wishful thinking from the less-rosy realities that usually characterize the entrepreneurial experience. Let’s start with a favourite “wish” – you mention it right in your letter – that entrepreneurship grants independence.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
