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I Secretly Built My Startup to 7-Figures Backwards; Here’s How I’d Do It Differently if I Started From $0
There are much faster paths to millions, entrepreneurial freedom, and happiness than the one I took.
I’m guessing you’ve heard the saying “Comparison is the thief of joy”, and while that’s perhaps true, it can feel like all we have. If we didn’t have more successful role models to compare (and aspire) to, we’d have far less vision for what’s possible with respect to our careers, businesses, finances, and lifestyles in general. That said, comparison can lead us astray — particularly when we believe there’s a fast track that turns out to be the riskiest, most anomaly-riddled path to where we actually want to go.
In the world of early-stage entrepreneurs, first-time founders, and startup-obsessed wantrepreneurs, it’s incredibly easy (and common) to get distracted and derailed down a shiny object-filled path under the guise of making “progress”. The problem lies in the fact that we all measure “progress” differently, and for many founders, even a decade or two of progress can leave them drained, depleted, and far from their financial and lifestyle goals, despite their ventures having the “trappings” of success.
What are those B.S. trappings of success that don’t necessarily get founders where they actually want to go?
- Proof of concept
- Funding
- Customers
- Industry awards
- Profitability
- Growth
But wait: How in the world can a startup have all of the above and still leave a founder unfulfilled, disillusioned, and wondering if they’ve been wasting their past 5, 10, or 20 years on a hamster wheel to nowhere?
That’s the pesky truth: Most founders are too ashamed to admit why they really got into entrepreneurship in the first place. With a bit of honesty, they might forge a much more direct, fulfilling, and authentic path. Here’s how I’d do things differently if I were starting over from $0…
