Category: entrepreneurship

mind ram

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” That’s what Einstein, renowned for laying the foundation for many of his theories in pure imagination, allegedly said.

There is a limit to the amount of data we can store (simultaneously) in our imagination. I call it; the mind’s RAM. (RAM stands for read access memory and in terms of devices, more typically means a faster device with more computing power.) Our mind’s RAM size is variable. When you’re dealing with a lot, haven’t slept properly, it’s smaller than when you’re fully rested and focused. More is better. For us regular folk, it’s typically a lot smaller than Einstein’s mind RAM.

To conceive something complex, with contingencies and multiple outcomes, out of the blue, is difficult. Use your imagination until the point where your mind’s RAM overflows. Defer to pen and paper after that. Only then to move on to a device.

sinusoidal

Ups and downs. It’s a vibe. So many things on this planet can be expressed through sine waves. For instance, the way the sun rises and its light hits earth, only to go down hours later.

It’s tough to escape sinusoidal movements. If you expect your business to grow continuously, without ever encountering a hick-up, you’re (probably) in for a surprise.

Don’t be discouraged when growth stagnates, or worse when your business is shrinking. It’s natural. Breathe in, and figure out how to catch the next wave going up.

exhibit problem

Creating is easy. The best way to write is to start writing. What’s true of writing is true of many creative activities.

Exhibiting, that’s where the going gets tough. What will people think? Will this resonate with my audience? You’re paralyzed. Never made it out of the gate.

Knowing and understanding your audience is super important. Without proper insights, you’re flying blind, and targeting will be inefficient.

Create for yourself in the first place. Don’t start with an exhibition or publication in mind. Enjoy the process. The rest will follow.

not in it to win it

An exceptional ability to cope with the prolonged absence of wins. That’s what entrepreneurs are made of, among other qualities.

People not getting a proverbial pat on the back now and then are bound to feel unappreciated at some point in time. With burnout at an all-time high, people feeling undervalued in their jobs is both tragic and risky.

It’s lonely at the top. At the end of the day, when everybody has left, who is there to motivate you? Without superiors offering you a raise, complimenting you on a job well done, it all comes down to you. Be extra kind (to yourself).

against some odds

When you can’t make the turn, riding a motorcycle, sometimes you have to accelerate. Slowing down will decrease forward momentum, as well as the angle with which you can turn. Not releasing the throttle or even speeding up to make the turn feels very counter-intuitive. It requires a unique mindset. A mindset that doesn’t come around often.

Taking a turn while approaching a proverbial wall, every fiber in your body is screaming, slow down. That’s what it feels like (most of the time) to run a startup.

The tenacity to not release the throttle, even accelerate, is what separates entrepreneurs suitable for a new, innovative business model from those suitable for an attested and proven business model.

maintenance is no fix

With a blown-up engine, changing the oil isn’t going to reassemble it magically. Similarly, depression won’t go away by meditation.

Prevention is better than cure, obviously. The danger lies in prevention advice being passed around, disguised as cure advice. They’re unequivocally not the same.

Maintenance is, of course, an excellent strategy. Meditation or prayer, among other initiatives, can help keep you grounded, focused, and grateful. Think of it as the oil recommended by your car manufacturer (not the cheap knockoff either). Proper and regular servicing will make you run smoothly for as long as you can.

relatively everything

I’ve tried absolutely everything. Have you, really? “Absolutely” could be, in this case, a poor choice of words. You’ve tried everything you could, within your power and knowledge.

When you can’t see the forest for the trees, try consulting someone who is more experienced in navigating through dense forests or someone who has navigated this particular forest before.

Sometimes a problem refuses to go away, even after establishing that you’ve done everything humanly possible. Even though “absolutely everything” sounds (more than) sufficient, it’s relative to your (current) capabilities. Reach out and ask for a fresh pair of eyes to help you look through the forest.

(un)achievable

A goal so ambitious, it becomes paralyzing. Many entrepreneurs thrive on ambition and understand the importance of setting goals. However, setting extremely ambitious goals may have adverse effects.

The other end of the spectrum isn’t much better. Michelangelo allegedly said: “the greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Too ambitious is blocking. Not ambitious enough isn’t very rewarding. Goals shouldn’t be carved in stone. Set a goal and adjust it along the way.

so far so good

“Hate,” the French movie from 1995, features a famous scene with the legendary words: “Jusqu’ici tout va bien.” That loosely translates to: “up until now, all is well.”

Until it isn’t. We all have different coping mechanisms or things we do to escape imminent danger. For entrepreneurs, one of those things to run to is often work.

The scene continues with: “the most important isn’t the fall, it’s the landing.” We all fall, time and time again. You can be either face down on the floor, a split-second after you tripped, or experience an endless fall that seems to last forever.

Anticipate the landing. Make it as soft as you can. Be kind to yourself, and ask for help.

no fails no gains

If babies were as afraid of failing as many adults are, none of us (who are physically able) would walk. Evolving from crawling to walking is a painful enterprise. You fall flat on your face, repeatedly. Since memories only start to accumulate at later age, you have no recollection of kissing the floor so often.

Luckily. If we were to remember, we would be (even) more risk-averse.

You learn to walk by doing. Not by philosophizing about it theoretically. The highway to gains passes through fails.