One Simple, but Often Overlooked, Step To Keeping Your Startup Alive
As we build and grow, I have tried to pay attention to others as well as conduct rigorous self assessment to determine what methods seem to work when things are going well.
If you look up what makes a successful entrepreneur you can find a lot of quotes, blogs, podcasts, etc, on never giving up. While I do agree that quitting is the death knell of a business due to the self imposed finality that is implied, I think that there is probably one key step that can help avoid the result all together.
I have simplified the very iterative process that most ventures go through early on into 5 key steps.
Step 1: Attack an idea guns-a-blazin’. Just go after it. Who cares what you don’t know you don’t know. You’re invincible!
Step 2: Get your ass kicked. You went after it and bit it…hard.
Step 3: Get up and dust yourself off.
Step 4: Reflect on what worked and what did not.
Step 5: Go back to step one.
Pretty simple, right? I have a feeling that the somewhat simplistic and obvious nature of this process is why so many people overlook Step 4.
Let’s take a minute and really, like really, think about Step 4. Reflection is the secret sauce. It’s what separates the hamsters spinning on their never ending wheel from those who keep flying through successful benchmarks.
I notice that some people get their asses kicked and they don’t get up (these folks fall victim to the early stages of entrepreneurial natural selection). A lot of people get their asses kicked, get up, and run right back to Step 1 without giving Step 4 the attention it deserves. They usually find themselves at Step 2 again and again until they stop the cycle all together.
We have all heard the cliches and quotes about perseverance and determination in entrepreneurship. However, I would argue that the biggest differentiator for many people is not the stick-to-itiveness but rather the ability to reflect and adjust.
The reflection period allows a founder to make adjustments and avoid repeating errors on the next go around. It’s the time where hard truths might be faced and courses corrected.
It’s great to be excited about what your building, but don’t forget to slow down and take some time for reflection.
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Alex Sejdinaj is a cofounder of South Bend Code School, GiveGrove, and Code Works. He loves building cool stuff that helps people.
