Rome wasn’t built in a day either…”
I first saw this unapologetic declaration on a billboard sign on the Pennsylvania Turnpike: a highway that was perennially under construction. And it always reminded me that startups have to be treated the same way.
Entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs approach creating a startup empire differently. Firstly, what’s a wantrepreneur? They are the eager beavers who may look, act, and seem like entrepreneurs – but all without owning an actual business!
Let’s examine the wantrepreneur scenario when building a startup empire:
- This is the one…the idea of the century!” Wantrepreneurs rarely focus on the problem to solve.
- “Oooooh features! I love features!” Wantrepreneurs don’t create a foundation and work incrementally, but instead fast forward and jump in the deep end before learning to swim.
- “I’ll just whip together the business in no time!” Wantrepreneurs always underestimate the time it takes to grow a business.
- “If you build it they will come.” Wantrepreneurs believe the only thing stopping them from customers, is the lack of product.
- “Money… I’ll figure it out later.” Wantrepreneurs severely minimize the needed funding for their projects.
To create an empire, you need a solid foundation, a clear vision, support, and patience. Experienced entrepreneurs understand this instinctively. They move quickly but recognize the importance of mastering the basics before advancing. A scalable and repeatable business model is essential before growing too large or beyond control.
For the budding entrepreneurs, it serves as a good reminder, that yes, Rome, the Pennsylvania turnpike, and your startup all need and will need the vision, the time, and the baby steps to eventually become the empire that they all are.
How do you approach building an empire? Let us know in the comments below.
This comic and post are adapted from #entrepreneurfail: Startup Success.