Entrepreneur? Think not!!

I recently read an article that said “Whatever you do, don’t quit your job to pursue your passion”. It was a great article let me tell you! I have always been a little apprehensive about the idea of giving up a stable source of income and setting off to take risks which may or may not pay off. It is safe to say I am completely risk averse. Not everyone is as much a coward as I am. But as my father very clearly puts it, startups don’t stay. Five in every 10,000 startups actually sustain themselves in the long run. And out of the 5, maybe 1 becomes a Microsoft or an Apple.

People with big dreams and limited means can’t afford to take risks and many of these dreams remain unfulfilled for most of their lives. Converting a passion or a hobby into a source of income is a luxury that very few people can afford these days. But one cannot deny the fact that there is extreme personal satisfaction in achieving a milestone, however tiny, in your own venture. The hard work, sleepless nights, sacrifices, everything seems worth it. It gives you a sense of high. “Being your own boss” is a dream everyone has. No one, including myself, likes to work for someone anymore. We all want to be our own bosses. But very few of us actually realize that being our own bosses can do us more harm than good, especially in the early stages. You need to make all the decisions. You cannot blame anyone else for the failures. You have to get your hands dirty. Most importantly, you will almost never have a level playing field. There will always be someone with an upper hand. If you aren’t shrewd enough, you will have hell to pay with!

This is me being the pessimist! I thought, there are so many articles out there that encourage you to follow your dreams and break out from the molds of everyday life. You see some examples of success stories as well. But very rarely do you hear from a failed attempt. Very rarely, do you get to learn from failures. I don’t say that you should not pursue your dreams. But my only point is that most of the success stories come from places of privilege. The article I read talked about that too! It felt good to read about something that I always thought I alone could see. Most people who give up their jobs and start their own ventures, have the privilege to do so. When you have responsibilities on your shoulder like paying off debts, supporting a family, leading a decent quality of life, giving up a decent paying job would be nothing short of foolishness. People who do not have any such responsibilities can afford to dream. Others, just have to take vacations or time off to fulfill small dreams or take breaks as they like to call it.

There are loads of people currently unhappy in their menial jobs. Some complain about the salary, some about the work and most of them about their Boss. I myself was included in that class! But complaining is one thing and taking that leap and facing the challenges that come along with it is a whole other story. Don’t just quit because of these reasons! Everything we do in life is (sadly) tied to money. Money is crucial to survival and in a world of cut throat competition, there are thousands of people vying for the top spot that pays the big bucks. In that rat race, a few venture to take the road less traveled and pursue their dreams! Have you ever wondered why that’s the road less traveled? It’s because very rarely do you come out of it successful. Standing on this side of the door, its easy to dream and imagine how life could be. This imagination alone can help some of the brave take that step and cross over to the “dark side” but very few actually see the light at the end of the tunnel! Its scary how few actually make it. Just out of my pessimistic nature, I researched about innovations and start ups and literally found the statistics horrifying. 92% startups fail in the first three years and 95% fail in the first five years! Kudos to the final 5%.

The point of my article wasn’t to discourage startups. But to make people aware that it’s not as easy as it sounds. If you want to take that leap, do it for the right reasons. And if you do actually do it, go into it with a complete understanding of the situation and contemplate all possibilities and don’t just think that you can figure it out along the way. The biggest hindrance in all this will be that which you sacrifice in your jobs, money! If you think you have everything figured out, go over it again and again and make sure its fool proof. Even that wouldn’t be enough for all the unforeseen situations that can arise. Most importantly, be aware that you will face situations that will test you to the core and even Steve Jobs was fired from his own company! Not everyone can be Steve Jobs to come back with a bang!