Everyone wants to build the next Facebook, the next Google, the next Instagram and the next big thing. The harsh reality is that only a handful of people every so often actually make it. For every Mark Zuckerberg there are probably tens of thousands of entrepreneurs toiling away in cafes, the early hours of the morning and weekends who end up not “making it” presumably because only a very small percentage of entrepreneurs actually do.
Bubbles
Sometimes people get caught up in their own bubbles they often forget about the things that matter around them. I am pretty guilty of this, I have so many ideas bubbling away in my head, I’m never not working on something. It can be easy to forget when you’re “in the zone” that you have a girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife and perhaps even a child or two who might want your attention as well.
Entrepreneurs are a weird bunch of people. They work their nine to five jobs, come home and work on their side-projects hoping that one day all of this free time being consumed will have been worth it. It is good to have dreams, but you need to be mindful of those around you. What is the point of having a dream if you’ve got nobody to share it with?
This comic pretty much sums up everything I am trying to say:
Understanding
Having side-projects is a healthy thing for any developer or would-be entrepreneur to have, but you have to prioritise your life a little better. As you get older and responsibilities like family, a mortgage and a partner inevitably for most come to fruition you need to shift your mindset.
You might understand why it is you are trying to build the next big thing, but your wife, your friends and your children might not understand. In your head you know you’re trying to break-through to make life better for your family, dreams of being acquired for a few million dollars, outside of the bubble all those looking in see is you spending too much time on the computer.
Reality
Your idea most likely won’t go anywhere. There are potentially hundreds, if not, thousands of other people just like you working on the exact same idea. Your idea is not unique, the amount of hours you put into your idea doesn’t necessarily equate to more success.
If you have ever watched Shark Tank or similar shows like Dragon’s Den, then you will have seen first-hand just how out-of-touch some entrepreneurs actually are with reality. Everyone thinks their idea is great partly because they’re blinded and partly because they’re inexperienced.
Time
We only have such a small amount of time in this life before we depart. You could die tomorrow. Do you want to die being remembered as someone who was always there for their family or do you want to be remembered as “always being on his computer” – when we’re gone, the only way we live on is through memories of those who were fortunate to be around us.
I came to the realisation a little while ago that entrepreneurism is an addiction in large doses. It can be easy to get addicted to wanting to build the next “big thing”, sometimes persistence does pay, but sometimes it can be damaging if you’re not aware of how much time you are spending on the computer and not with those who need your time more.
Spend time with your partner, take your children to the park, go out for a drink with some friends and use your time wisely.
