Are you ready to be an entrepreneur?

Originally published on Medium, August 2021 | https://medium.com/@sahay0011/are-you-ready-to-be-an-entrepreneur-162cc1239588

Photo by Garrhet Sampson on Unsplash

There is a lot of noise around how 9 to 5 is not cool; and how we should be a job-creator than just a puny corporate slave. There is a sense of aura for folks who live on their own terms and create things, oh that dream life, no wonder! What if I told you that you can be one too? There are a few skills and attributes basis which we can predict if you have it, so keep up your adrenaline as you are about to get a rush of validation! Yaaaay! However, before we begin, let us start with a small set of questions.

• Do you have thoughts about starting your own business but never could make the leap?
• Do you have thoughts of having side hustles but never could bring it to life?
• Do you often glance over Entrepreneur and Yourstory and wonder if that poster guy was you?

If the answer is yes for two out of the three questions, you guessed it right, then you have what it takes to make the leap. It is statistically proven that all it takes is 69% conviction and nothing else. The rest is sheer attitude.

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Enough with the validation! Let us talk straight facts about how you are different from everybody else.

• Do you enjoy riding solo?
• Do you think it is brave to get your hands dirty?
• Do you dream of a big picture with your eyes open?
• Do you look for wifi & charging points wherever you go?
• Do you ride to work listening to podcasts?
• Do you like to be in the middle of controversies?
• Do you think nobody can make you insecure?
• Do you think you are the coolest of the lot?
• Do you wake up every morning with a hunger?
• Do you despise run-of-the-mill mediocrity?
• Do you have the fire to prove yourself to the world?
• Do you plan your life by the calendar?
• Do you follow growth hackers on Instagram & YouTube?

If the answer is yes for at least nine out of the thirteen questions, you again guessed it right, you — my friend — can be an entrepreneur. Now that we know you can be an entrepreneur, it is time to scratch that itch and dig deeper. There will be times when you are alone, hated, and nothing seems to work out. However, you will have to remember these thirteen point straight facts for which your answers were “YES”. It is the manifesto of hustle. You must remember that it is okay to feel alone; there are a billion people just like you trying to find that perfect stroke to make it big, so keep on going and never settle!

Did you think that I will leave you high and dry with only motivation? No, my friend, I come with warnings too, and you have to keep an eye out for each of these signs. After all, you are a unicorn! Although many say that they want to see the unicorn fly, all they want is just to have that poor unicorn taxidermied in their living room. So stick out your neck, open your eyes wide and look for the following hints around you.

• “It is just an escape from your sucky job, do not entertain”.

You are in charge of your dreams; these people are like relatives who simply want to pull you down. They will argue how 9 to 5 is also cool, but try to recall when was the last time you heard something cool about that 9 to 5 guy? NEVER, right?

• “You never work for yourself; there is always someone you work for”.

If it is your passion, does it even matter? It is your work, and it is unique. Therefore, it attracts a premium and that someone will wait for you.

• “You may not always do what you like”.

When you already do not like what you do, there is a strong possibility that you will at least be doing something that interests you, even if little.

• “It will be an end to your carefree life as you will be responsible to your employees”.

Do you know how many zeroes are there in a billion? NINE! While there are only 16 personality types based on the Myers-Briggs Types Indicator. In the world of 7.5 Billion people, never limit yourself by thinking that you won’t find people like you, the carefree you, the dreamer you, the passionate you and the hustler you. Finally, you have this manifesto of hustle — there is no reason to subscribe to the fear of responsibilities. 

I want you to remember this famous or rather infamous quote from the movie ‘3 idiots’ (after all, every founder was once called an idiot).

“Pursue excellence over success, and success will find you nevertheless”.

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This is actually the only piece of genuine advice — focus on excellence whatever you do. No amount of validation articles help. Take initiatives, try out your ideas, and see if it works. If it does, since you have come this far, you will find the way yourself.