Some Startup Founders Get Nightmares Of Being... Average.
FONI – The Fear of No Impact.
The more I talk to entrepreneurs, the more I feel that they have something I would refer to as an “entrepreneurial soul”. It's not easy to describe because it's not really tangible. Anyone who doesn't possess this will never be able to understand.
Having worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years, I do see something in their conversations. I have witnessed firsthand this entrepreneurial soul when they're talking about a certain idea. Some people would be excited. Entrepreneurs would put their soul into it.
That's the entire difference between a normal and an entrepreneurial soul.
The Weight of Purpose
A lot of entrepreneurs that I know would have trouble sleeping because they think they're not doing enough. They think they're procrastinating. They think they're failing. They are mostly worried about this lifetime, this journey passing by. They worry about not doing what they wanted to do, not seizing the opportunity.
You might be surprised to know that having an entrepreneurial soul versus business success doesn't really have that much correlation.
You could have an entrepreneurial soul and have tons of entrepreneurial ideas and have all of them fail.
But you would still have this desire to create a new idea the next day.
It's really not about ideas being successful as much as it's about people doing those ideas.
When an entrepreneur, whether failed or successful, wakes up in the morning and works on a certain entrepreneurial idea, they use the forces of life to actually do that. They feel like they're fulfilling a certain purpose that is much bigger than they are.
Most people working in big corporates like OpenAI or Google don't really have that. They might have a certain objective, but they're mostly after their own experience in building their own selves, which I would say is stage zero.
Once they reach stage one, which is having something to work for that is bigger than them, this is when the problems and nightmares start.
The Cure Is Usually Simple
There is not stopping an entrepreneur who has an infection of an idea. Eventually, one day or another, they will step up to give it a shot.
Will it succeed? statistically, it probably won’t.
Will it heal the nightmare? yes, but it’ll probably create a new one.
The ultimate entrepreneurs who have spent decades working in entrepreneurship know that an entrepreneur should not have an emotional connection with a business.
I’ve had calls with entrepreneurs bluntly saying that they are building a company for only 3-4 years then selling them.
Entrepreneurs who understand that major elements of entrepreneurship and business are interchangeable are the ones who eventually sleep like babies.
“You could have an entrepreneurial soul, come up with tons of ideas, and still have all of them fail. But you would wake up the next day with the same desire to create something new."
This is so true…
However, those with a higher likelihood of success are the ones who know how to tame this urge.
This is what I’ve learned over the years by investing my time and money.
Chasing every shiny object isn’t a good strategy. Instead, focusing on one of your ideas, validating it, and using your ‘new idea generator’—your brain—to find ways to improve your existing business is the key.