The decision to be or not be an entrepreneur is an intensely personal one. It is one which needs to be discussed and debated with family and friends. It depends on each one's appetite for risk. There is never a right or wrong answer, just as there is never a right or wrong time. The fundamental decision has to come from within.
I also believe that once the decision is made to leave the world of comfortable employment and move to the world of entrepreneurship, the parachute needs to be cut. If we know that there are always the options of going back to the safety and security of the other world, it will be much harder making the entrepreneurial option work. In a sense, as we close one door, other doors will open. But we have to close doors. We have to believe that making the new venture succeed must be akin to a "life-and-death" battle. One has to fight knowing that there is no looking or going back.
Once the decision is taken, how do we begin? Where do we get that wonderfully innovative idea which can transform the world? The answer is: s-l-o-w-l-y. While it is always possible that one may know exactly the niche to focus on, more often than not, one of two things will happen. The idea itself may take time to crystallise clearly, and the idea may not turn out to be as great as we thought from the other side of the fence. So, just focusing on the idea is not going to be enough.
The most important thing for an entrepreneur is to build a mental model of the industry under consideration. The mental model takes time to form. It is more about internalising the external views, developments and trends. It is the mental model which creates the foundation for the business. Understanding the bigger picture takes time, but is extremely important because of the challenges we will face on a regular basis as we seek to build out our business. Change is continuous and constant. It is the mental model "or the latticework of mental models" that will help us navigate the terrain, not with maps but with a compass.
There are many ways we can go about building the mental model for the sphere we wish to operate in. Blogging is a great way to begin. By reading what others are writing, reflecting upon their views, and then laying our thinking, we can start the process of developing a unique perspective built on the past of our experience, but embellished by the inputs from many others.
In an entrepreneurial venture, it is rare for the first idea to be successful. What we will find is that the first idea is just the key which unlocks the doors to a new kingdom "where more doors await us. Think of the first business idea as an alarm clock" it's only purpose is to wake us up to the new dawn. How we live the day is up to each of us.
The transition from employee to entrepreneur is also a shift in mindsets. What we will realize when we do decide to make that switch is that we will start seeing the same world very differently. We no longer have blinkers on. The lens we use now is one where we know that each mistake could be fatal for our fledgling journey. We will find a heightened sense of observation. It is like finding oneself in a forest. Either we hunt or are hunted down. We will find survival instincts that we never thought we had coming to the fore. The game is now afoot!
