The Entrepreneurship Lie?

I was looking for a nice story to begin this article with but I digress. The situation is too dire to start with entertainment so I will go about it like how we administer an injection to an adult. Fast and swift and hopefully only briefly painful. Bear with me. 

You have to throw away all the romantic origin stories you have heard about Great ideas and companies. Yes, some of the stories actually sound like fairytales especially those made into best selling books, docu series and movies. That is television and showbiz. Do this instead. 

Research extensively and read lots of verified and accurate biographies and memoirs. Read verified articles and lots of different books. I guarantee that, you will be delivered from your "pie in the sky" illusions.

The kind of hard work, networking, PURE LUCK, privilege, bias, unexplained grace, shenanigans and what nots involved will make you born again in your mind. Look, you are probably not going to experience a Eureka moment and come up with the next multi billion dollar company or discover the next miracle drug in your dream or you might. I don't know. But I can assure you that, you will probably go through thousands of half baked and ridiculous ideas and so many roadblocks that it will make your head spin and ache.

It is going to take sweat, grit, stubbornness, perseverance, giving up and coming back up, getting depressed and even suicidal, experiencing deep pain and hopelessness, sleeping scared and having nightmares and so many other things most speakers or resource persons won't tell you.

This isn't a pessimistic post and I have nothing against motivational speaking or speakers. I would like to think I am one myself. However, I wish we would do more work with research and tell the real and exact things people did to become successful not just the stuff that makes for nice sound bites. I fear we are creating a breed of entitled "wannapreneurs" who expect wealth and fame with the minimal amount of effort, energy and time. The inaccurate and mostly incomplete presentation of Entrepreneurship as a magic bullet and solution to all our woes as a nation is doing more harm than good. 

Another group that also unconsciously push the Entrepreneurship Lie are successful business people who are invited to speak or talk about Entrepreneurship because of their "experience". Whilst some of them use personal experiences and examples as universal laws and doctrines, others just sugar coat the truth in the bid to be seen as inspirational and probably optimistic. Those who try to be real end up teaching popular principles because it is easier. This is because most people do not journal or record their business journeys. In only looking retrospectively, successful people are more likely to focus on the feel good and tangible parts because as strange as it sounds, lots of successful people do not actually know EXACTLY why or how they got successful. Since they can't teach Luck, privilege, bias and other things that are very important parts of their successes, they list popular principles and techniques that can make for good media.

Does that mean we shouldn't read books, watch these videos or listen to these speakers? NO, Not at all. In fact, it is because of these resources that others are able to also achieve successes and learn from their mistakes . All I am saying is that, there is always more ice below the water surface than we see. These resources are a very important part of preparing for our own opportunities but lots of the intangibles can only be found by actual Doing. Action is the engine of success. 

See it this way. The resources are the software, taking action is adding the hardware. One without the other is incomplete. If you don't like reading, you will just extend the length of time you will suffer and hit your head against walls. On the other hand, if you just read books, listen to speakers and don't DO the work itself, you will keep going round and round getting frustrated and annoyed with yourself. 

So what should you do?

Read the books, take the inspiration and DO THE WORK. Pay your dues with your sweat and dirt. You are going to have to endure tough times, depression, pain, failure and lots of stress and long periods of stagnation.

I just wrote this to let you know that, the stress is not because you are on the wrong path, it is because you are actually on the right path.

Entrepreneurship is not a fantasy or a fairy tale but without entrepreneurs, the world would have probably ended by now. It is hard and dirty work. I won't sugarcoat it. However the rewards can be very great too. It is a calling and not just an option. If you are called into being one, stay the course. Keep the faith and grind. You are in good company.

If not, don't come and "kill yourself" 😂. Polish your CV and go get a good job. There is nothing wrong with being a successful and fulfilled employee. Don't let anyone deceive you.

Life is lived once, make sure you are doing what you want to do and not what others say you should do. Kudos to all the young entrepreneurs who grind it out everyday in this country and continent. You are the real Honorable, Excellencies, Celebrities and Role models. You rock.

~Dr. Samuel Tinagyei

Optometrist, Mental Health Advocate, Certified Master Coach, Author and Speaker.