I wanted to be an entrepreneur from the age of 24 but got a real chance to become one only when I was 37 and started ShopClues.com on 10th Oct 2010 in my home in Silicon Valley. And between 24 to 37, I acted as an entrepreneur in mirror, in bathroom while taking shower, while driving and of course in my dream. Nothing was easy for me, but I never took no for an answer. Here are some of my entrepreneurial lessors, I would like to share:
- When do I know that I am ready for entrepreneurship…when you do not have to ask this question.
- Do not suffer from illusion of grandeur but just start small and quickly and use power of prototyping and iterations.
- Tell yourself where you want to be and tell what you want your startup be and you will eventually become that.
- Learning from your failures is very important and how do you overcome from it is even more important.
- Your conviction level has to be very high especially most people will think you are crazy or fool.
- It is among the most lonely jobs on earth.
- You got to be ready for lots of rejections.
- Market reality may not reward the hard work, dedication, sincerity, and efforts in terms of results the way you think it should.
- You will be amazed to realize what a highly determine individual or a small group of highly determined people can achieve.
- If you are brining disruption and innovations do not get bogged down by traditional approach for the same thing you are doing or reaction of the people in existing ecosystem.
- Do not judge yourself or at least not too quickly…Wright brothers would not have been able to fly a plane if they had given up too quickly.
- Frugality will go long way but do not be penny wise and pound foolish.
- Build a team that takes your energy and only makes it more vs killing it or diluting it.
- People who do not work out in the beginning, do not work out later too.
- Do not take no for an answer and be hustler, be a fighter and be a believer.
