You have an idea for a new business. It’s something you’re passionate about, and you’re excited to get started. But then you tell your friends and family about it, and they immediately start shooting holes in your idea. “That will never work.” “You’re not cut out for that.” “You don’t have what it takes to make that happen.”
Sound familiar? If you’re an entrepreneur, chances are you’ve experienced this first-hand. Society kills entrepreneurial mindset. Why? Because it’s easier to be a sheep than it is to be a leader. It’s easier to go with the flow than it is to swim upstream. And it’s certainly easier to let someone else take the risk than it is to put everything on the line yourself.
There are three main ways that society kills the entrepreneurial mindset:
1) By telling us that we need to have a “real” job first.
2) By telling us that starting a business is too risky.
3) By telling us that we need validation from others to be successful.
Let’s unpack each of these in turn.
1. The pressure to have a “real” job first
Society tells us that in order to be taken seriously as an entrepreneur, we first need to have a “real” job working for someone else. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there never had a traditional job; they just went straight into building their own businesses. Don’t let anyone else tell you that you need work experience first—if you’ve got an idea for a business, go out and make it happen!
2. The pressure to avoid risk
One of the biggest things holding people back from starting their own businesses is the fear of failure. We’re told time and time again that entrepreneurship is too risky—but nothing in life is risk-free. Sure, there’s a chance your business might not make it—but there’s also a chance it could become wildly successful beyond your wildest dreams. The key is to find a balance between taking calculated risks and being reckless; err on the side of caution and you’ll be just fine.
3. The pressure to seek validation
Another way society kills the entrepreneurial mindset is by telling us we need validation from others in order to be successful. This couldn’t be further from the truth! You don’t need anyone’s permission to start your own business—you can just go out and do it! Of course, it’s always helpful to get advice from experienced entrepreneurs—but ultimately, whether or not your business succeeds is up to you. So don’t wait around for permission from others—just go out and make your dreams happen!
But that doesn’t mean you should give up on your dreams just because everyone else tells you to. In fact, you should do the opposite. Here’s why:
1. Entrepreneurship Is Not a Solo Journey
You might think that starting your own business is a solo journey, but nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, entrepreneurship is all about networking and building relationships. The more people you know, the more likely you are to find success. So don’t let society discourage you from pursuing your dreams—the people who matter will support you every step of the way.
2. You Can’t Measure Success with Money
If there’s one thing society loves more than killing entrepreneurial mindset, it’s measuring success with money. But here’s the thing: money isn’t everything. In fact, many of the most successful entrepreneurs in history are worth less today than they were when they started their companies. So don’t let society tell you that you’re not successful just because you haven’t made millions of dollars yet—the true measure of success is how happy you are with your life, not how much money is in your bank account.
3. Failure Is Not the End, It’s Just the Beginning
Society loves to label entrepreneurs as failures when their businesses don’t work out—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is failure is a necessary part of entrepreneurship—it’s how we learn and grow as individuals. So don’t let society discourage you from starting your own business just because there’s a chance that things might not work out – remember, failure is only the end if you give up; if you keep going, it’s just the beginning.