Friday, December 05, 2008

Entrepreneurial terror

I first heard of this terminology when I read a book by Wilson Harrel 'For Entrepreneurs Only'.(a nice write up about him here) I instantly remembered about him when I had an argument with a friend yesterday. A mild argument actually but I think I made my point clear. What was argued is not important, but the concept behind the subject matter is. The concept is about the fear being in business. Through my experience, I have two words to describe how I feel being self employed. Loneliness and Fearful. I talk about loneliness later. For now, I talk about Fearful. For those, young and not so young, who are starting your first company, by that act, you have joined a very special organisation. Admission is automatic; permission is neither needed nor sought; tenure is indefinite. Wilson Harrel welcomes you to the Club of Terror.

I can assure you, the fear is unlike anything you have ever experienced. It is not just fear, it is terror. Let me make myself clear that by terror I do not mean simply an intense kind of fear. The two are quiet different. Fear is a sudden rush of adrenaline let loose when you are caught with a lipstick stain on your collar, or when you almost get hit by a drunk driver. It is usually accidental and unexpected. Entrepreneur terror, on the other hand is self-inflicted. It occurs when you, an otherwise a normal person, make a conscious decision that carries you over the threshold of fear into a private world filled with monsters sucking at every morsel of your being. There can be no sleep in this world - just wide-awake nightmares. It will scares the hell out of every one of you.

So, I told my buddy, taking up responsibility, committed with what we do, perseverance in our undertaking, frustrations over failures are just some minor gentle things that are the least of what we expect or experience in entrepreneurship. You can put them away as a child puts away toys. And my fellow friend, you can stop breathing if you want, but this Entrepreneur Terror will remain with you as long as you remain as an entrepreneur. Be brave! Period.

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