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Where to even begin?

I don’t know a lot, and I won’t claim to. I just know I want to do something. I feel like I understand people, what they like and don’t like, what they’d buy and wouldn’t. I feel like I’ve got a good eye for design, a passion for the end user experience, and a committment to quality above all else.

I’m not an engineer or designer, developer or writer (per se). I suppose I’m a jack-of-all-trades, master of few.

Am I completely up a creek here? Should I just stick with working for “the man”?

I know I want to start a company, or be part of a startup, I just don’t have any stinking idea where to begin!

  • Hello Anonymous, I think you speak for a lot of people who feel exactly the way you do. I think you should follow your passion. I know you probably here this all the time, but really, there is truth in the old saying “follow your passion”. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t enjoy whatever you are doing then you probably will not continue doing it long enough to be successful. The other thing is to think about how your knowledge and experience could solve a problem and for whom it would benefit. All the best.

    Reply

  • If you don’t know what to do, stay put and take classes in the evening to teach you how to do it. If you know what you want to do, build a team around you to build it. Or pay someone to build what you vision.

    It is that simple.

    Reply

  • Find a pain point in someone’s life or job…define a better way of handling that annoyance, then build your business around fixing that problem.

    Once you’ve got the answer, join a local business accelerator and start networking with fellow entrepreneurs, or approach a successful person and start asking for their advice on setting up a business.

    Best wishes…

    Reply

  • It’s a myth that entrepreneurs have epiphanies on businesses to start. They whiteboard things, brainstorm how to make things better. They FIND a problem to solve. Look around, find something that doesn’t work as well as it should, and fix it.

    Reply

  • Why don’t you start a small business -like a coffee shop.

    I have a service business as a base. It’s alot of hard work.

    I think local advertising is broke at the moment.

    I wanna fix it.

    What a better way to study and understand local advertising

    than to get into the trenches as a local service business.

    Start out with something small and see if it’s for you.

    Reply

  • Great suggestions above.

    I’d add that whatever skills you do have, you’ll need to focus hard on the management aspects. Even those with strong skills in coding, marketing, sales and/or fundraising need these because it is impossible to focus on everything and be great at it, and as a jack-of-all-trades – you might need more help than some even if you can contribute in more areas to some degree.

    Reply

  • Ciao!

    I agree with all points. The motivation inside to have my own business keeps me awake at nights, the thing is that most of advises are made from a comfortable point of view, from a deeper understanding of your own abilities.

    I understand the anxiety of wanting to worked for a vision, I am in the middle of it myself. I am looking for the people that want the opportunity to listen to others fears and incompetence. Let’s face it we all are incompetent in business as in life until we learn. The thirst for knowledge will put us face to face with the right opportunities, just be ready to take the jump. “When the pupil is ready the teacher will appear.”

    CONNECTING PEOPLE,MOVING FORWARD.

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  • You wrote: “Let’s face it we all are incompetent in business as in life until we learn.”

    Some people aren’t supposed to be in this arena. The start up arena. They’re in it, for the BIG exit and will destroy themselves in the process.

    Some people are supposed to be in this arena and are gifted with a business ,risk taking mind. Most will get devoured.That’s what most will learn.

    Reply

  • Thank you all for the amazing responses. Very insightful and inspirational. I’m taking these to the bank!

    A few of you mentioned learning, which I think is paramount here. I’ve really been having the itch lately to travel and try new things – to really step off a cliff (figuratively speaking, of course) and just take that leap of faith. You never really know until you explore and try.

    I think I’ll continue to be a sponge (albeit a selective sponge) of knowledge and learning. After all, I’m barely into my career, barely out of college and beating myself up won’t get me anywhere soon.

    Also, I love the comments about proactively looking for things that are broken or need improvement. SPOT ON!

    Reply

  • Your personality and ability to communicate / motivate others around you cannot be understated. You need an electric personality and an unusually persuasive demeanor, along with humility. And you don’t have to know a lick of code to solve it, trust me on this one. That’s where your personality kicks in. Your ability to “sell” your ideas, communicate.

    And, the BEST problem you can solve, is a problem in which you are personally afflicted, and care deeply about. If you spot a problem that exists for say, accountants, sure, you may be able to solve it. However, if you don’t personally care about the problem, you will run out of steam and stop caring. Meaning, your idea for a a company just died along with your motivation. Don’t want to get into a situation like that.

    Reply

    • I love your response, thank you so much!

      Staying humble can always be tricky, but being fairly new in the professional space has definitely made me realize how I’m surrounded by people much smarter than me in so many areas. It was a good cutting down to size, of sorts (not that I had gotten too big-headed 🙂 ).

      I’m a very passionate person, and am driven best by something I believe in, something I can emotionally latch on to. So, I LOVE what you said about the BEST problem to solve is the one I’m personally invested in/afflicted by.

      Thanks for your response, it really resonated with me.

      Reply
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