You CANT do that!
Wanna bet? As an entrepreneur, I am faced with an infinite amount of obstacles and hurdles which I must maneuver. Many of the hurdles are mental and the other portion are physical. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “that won’t work” or “your nuts.” No one ever said starting a company was easy.
I believe that someone placed obstacles and hurdles on this earth to deter the vast majority of people away from doing something; and the nutcases (myself included) are the ones that find ways around these. Are you gauranteed success each time you maneuver around? No. Just because you can think through a process or get around a major development block, doesn’t mean that you’re going to win the war. There are many battles to win in order to win the overall war.
In capital raising, I’ve spoken to dozens of institutional and angel investors and the majority of time, they say, “we like the opportunity but want to see it play out… and then we’ll gladly come on board.” If every company who walked into their office got money, we’d have issues in the market so I understand why they pass. However, I truely believe that you can raise money, you just need to find a source that understands what you’re trying to build, understands the market adoption and wants to get in as a ‘partner.’ When you find an institutional investor who meets that criteria, it makes the capital raising process a lot easier.
Our life is filled with “no’s.” We’re trained to walk away from things if we can’t succeed the first time.
It’s time to break through the barrier and look at life as a half full glass. Optimism goes a long way in entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that some days you’re going to be the dog, and other days, you’re going to be the hydrant. Look at each hurdle or obstacle as something you can attain; and focus to achieve those goals but don’t get hung on them. Move swiftly and don’t dwell. For every no, there is a yes somewhere. Look hard and deep – but don’t be afraid to move on. Life is too short and your window of opportunity for your entrepreneurial endeavor may shorten.
One thing that I constantly tell my teams:
There is no correct way to summit a mountain. You can climb it from the north/south/east/west… any path will lead you to the top and when you’re up there, doesn’t matter how you climbed. Don’t be afraid of no’s… just get out there, bust your ass, and be an entrepreneur. We solve grand problems and don’t sweat the small stuff.