Life as an Entrepreneur
I’ve been at this for a couple of months now and I’ve started to notice some things. When I tell people what I do (i.e., I work for no pay on a dot com that may not take off) I get a wide range of responses. Here are some common ones:
- Huh?
- Congratulations! That is great!
- Interesting…
- Well…good luck with that.
- Man, I wish I could take the leap… maybe I will… I should!… just as soon as I finish my current project…
- You’re doing what?!? Are you crazy??
- I hear it’s another bubble…
I get follow-up conversation almost every time; more questions than I usually care to answer, but I answer anyway. It helps me to formulate more clearly how to communicate what I am doing and what my vision is. I am surprised at how many people cannot hold a conversation about the Internet and the current technologies being used. I realize that we really are in our own little world. Despite the hundreds of blogs that are talking up a storm about Web 2.0 and the “new” Internet, most of the people I talk with are clueless about it. Even when I tell them about it, they don’t really get it and most don’t care.
Makes me wonder if we, as developers, entrepreneurs, etc. are hyping this amongst ourselves, but the rest of the world could care less. Kind of a collective “That’s nice…” coming from potential users. Fortunately, I’m persistent and have convinced several people of the benefits of these technologies and their uses. A long road though…
Anyway, in my follow-up conversations, I usually get one or more of the following questions. Depending on the person I am talking to it may be the first question or they may take a while leading up to it. Some people ask all three straight-away. Regardless, they all want to know:
- How will you make money on it?
- How much money do you think you’ll make?
- When will you start making money?
Notice a theme? It’s funny how interested people become when they are asking you about money. I usually fend them off by explaining my theory about startups and money. Considering this is my first (second really, but the first one was a practice run, right?) startup, this could be completely bunk information – your mileage will almost certainly vary. The theory goes like this:
If you concentrate on money first, you will fail. If you concentrate on users and follow your vision for the site, you will eventually find a way to monetize, and perhaps not fail.
Another funny thing I have been getting a lot of lately reminds me of why I wear a “No, I will not fix your damn computer!” t-shirt (thanks Kim!) as a programmer. In shifting from programmer to programmer/entrepreneur I now get many ideas for startups thrust at me by friends, family, and complete strangers. It usually happens after a lull in the conversation. Then they begin, “You know what’s a great idea for a startup….” or “You know what you should do…”. I think I will make a new t-shirt that says “No, I will not implement your damn idea for a startup!” Actually, I’m making a list for the future… after all, I didn’t sign an NDA….
You’re a funny guy. But really, I’ve got this great idea for a startup…
Yes, I’m guilty of many of the things you’ve mentioned. And I’m sorry. I think people express their interest and concern in different ways, and yes, some of them may seem annoying. For instance, the whole “making money thing” is brought up because they care about you and they want you to succeed (oh yeah, and we don’t want to have to support your wife and kids when you’re hauled off by your debtors).
But seriously, your line about following your vision and thinking about others is vital, and you’re right on. Everyone should approach life in this way and I admire you for it. I hope you make the best site out there. I just hope when you’re rich and famous that you’ll remember me (and the fact that I helped you earn your first dollar by trying out Firefox). And if you’re reading this, you really should give it a try by Clicking Here!
You may also have noticed that I’m using HTML now! I owe that to you! I started learning how to “do it myself” since you won’t fix my computer…or work on my startup or my meditation website. I really am grateful for your help in expanding my horizons! Perhaps some of your readers could benefit from visiting those sites…?
Here’s to a successful and fulfilling life, in every way, living for the benefit of others while sharing something of importance and value. May your project bring you everything you desire to attain from it.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:45 pmNo reason to be sorry, Ralph. You are just one of many asking me about money, telling me your idea and trying to get me to work on your startup. BTW, I don’t think I used the word ‘annoying’. I was just making an observation about how people are reacting to my role change.
Congrats on learning HTML! See, it’s not that hard. Good luck with your websites.
I also hope you are enjoying Firefox. If you are using it to test your website, then check out the Web Developer extension. It is a great tool for modifying your site in the browser. If you are using JavaScript, then try FireBug.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:45 pm[...] Over the holiday break I had a chance to talk with a lot of friends and family members about starting a company. I have been working on this venture for a few months, but had been keeping everything hush-hush. Most of them had no idea what I was doing. So, I decided to spill the beans and talk openly with people I know I can trust for an honest opinion. Just like I said in a previous post, reactions were mixed. [...]
December 5th, 2006 at 9:45 pmI don't think I would agree that the first and only immediate goal should be user growth. If you're branding yourself as a free product and gain significant traction by doing so, it will be more difficult to convince users down the road that your "free product" now has a price tag, or any monetary value. Maybe the revenue model evolves to allow for free usage, but I believe revenue model concepts go hand-in-hand with product ideas — they may not be completely fleshed out at the beginning, but you better have an idea of how the business is going to make money. After all, it is a for-profit business your starting. Unless, of course, it's a hobby project and revenue isn't a big concern, then it's a moot point. And if you're looking for investment (even F&F) you better have a plan to generate revenue, or you'll be called crazy – and not in the positive "you're a crazy entrepreneur" way.
April 24th, 2010 at 4:57 amThat's pretty funny. I get the same thing with talking about being a business owner in general.
I think that the web is evolving so fast that it's less surprising and exciting; we now expect it to improve that fast, which I think is why people are not all in the *new* internet thing.
July 15th, 2011 at 9:43 am