Everything great starts small

I’m an Entrepreneur, and a few years before I officially became one. One of my best friends said to me ‘I’ve always thought you were very entrepreneurial’. I think I shirked away from that.

I’ve thought recently about why a I shirked away from that for a few years. I think one reason is that when I looked at successful entrepreneurs – the Reid Hoffmans, the Elon Musk. I compared myself to them and thought – ‘I can’t be at that level’. Yet they probably weren’t that polished at the start. We often make the fundamental mistake of misunderstanding growth. And startups are about growth!

I saw the following quote about DoorDash –

By the time a company is successful enough to IPO, the many doubts and uncertainties of the early stage startup are largely forgotten, replaced with a hindsight that makes their path to success seem so much more obvious and predictable. The founders are likewise transformed by the many years of struggle and personal growth necessary to build and successfully lead a large business. Gone is the uncertain new startup founder, replaced by someone almost impossibly formidable and experienced.

So if you’re thinking of starting a company don’t worry if you don’t have it all figured out. None of us do!

And if you’re talking to an early stage startup as a potential partner, employee or investor look past the challenges and look for a diamond in the rough! Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to stick money in an Airbnb or a Doordash 🙂

Everything great starts small! So go out and build!