The Entrepreneurial Mindset

Adi Gold is a representation of where I want to be and what I want to accomplish. I dream to live, and work on projects that make my Monday mornings exciting (for those that work, it is a big deal). In other words, I want to work on the toughest problems and crack them.

Within the corporate environment, this luxury is given to those that are highly experienced and have a considerable level of networking skills. So, I chose to take the entrepreneurial route. It would be really cool if everyone chased their dreams, but the journey is not for everyone. Here's why

  

1. Dissatisfaction: If you are satisfied with the way things are, the odds say you will never start a company, because you will see no need to, apart from success or social ideals (which is not enough). Your dissatisfaction doesn't need to stem from the idea itself, it may be from your life or even your boss. Drew Houston (Founder of Dropbox at 24) forgot his USB on a trip, and was dissatisfied with needing a USB to access his files. He started writing the code for Dropbox on the spot, fast-forward to 2013, Dropbox valuation $4 billion.  
2. Selflessness: Entrepreneurship is a very selfless act; I'll use Mark Zuckerberg to explain how. The reason he started Facebook was because he wanted something cool he could use with and his friends. Once Facebook took off, he never had time to use it (he couldn't even access his profile because he knew the system would crash if he did).
3. Persistency: James Dyson (the guy that made the cool hoover) made 5,127 prototypes. Failure is in giving up. That said, try to pick projects that have decent R.O.I time scales (beware of the "Pursuit of happiness" Syndrome, if you need quick results). 
4. Passionate: Start-ups are all about passion... For every idea you have, or problem you want to solve, there are already solutions in the market. If you are not passionate enough about your solution, your customers will not be passionate either. 

I believe, these are the primary success factors in any founding team. It's really not about being smart

So, when you get an idea or a problem, you can ask yourself these questions

1. How dissatisfied am I with the current solution in the market?
2. Am I willing to put everything aside to solely work on this project?
3. Am I ready to dedicate myself regardless of how challenging it is or how long it will take?
4. How passionate am I about this problem? Are people as passionate as I am?

If the answers are "Yes", then you are in the right frame of mind to start your entrepreneurial journey. If not, back to the drawing board, but remember giving up is failing.

THE END