The Steps to Take Before Step One
Before all the pitching, and even the ideating, comes arguably the most important and frequently overlooked step — existence and observance. Yes, just by simply existing, you’re preparing for entrepreneurship! Sometimes, innovation comes knocking at your door when you least expect it. Often in my experience, my favorite ideas come when I least expect it, rather than actively seeking for the lightbulb idea.
Let’s take the case of college start-ups: for example, a substantial amount of individuals vehemently argue against not only the college-dropout-turned-billionare trope, but just against college start-ups in general. While I’m not sure if I one hundred percent agree since I do think there’s value in, I do one hundred percent agree with the importance of cherishing the stage of patience and observance. And to play the devil’s advocate for a moment, there are valid concerns over why waiting can be good, and why it shouldn’t be perceived as being negative or lazy, but rather as an investment and a form of productivity.
Whether it be over concerns over maturity, commitment, or experience (both technical and general life experiences), the argument against college startups emphasizes using college to explore and push your own personal boundaries. This isn’t to say that you should be scared of creating that start-up — in fact, taking the plunge despite your fears or risks is often needed. Instead, just take things in as learning experiences, or recognize that an idea is more of a passion project than a start-up. In fact, I think the argument demonstrates that there’s so much more to entrepreneurship than running a startup.
As someone who over the summer wanted to create their own start-up and came into college as a bright-eyed freshman, ready to take on this new intriguing challenge, I can certainly attest to the college start-up allure (dare I say, the clout?). I’ve recently taken quite the 180-degree turn though, recognizing that not only do I have a lot to learn first, but also that I simply just want to learn first. Not just explicit learning on how to run a start-up but really, the power of experience and treasuring the human condition that is so unique in these college years.
At the end of the day, everyone has their own journey and no one should tell you what an entrepreneur looks like or what your journey should be. If you’re involved in a college start-up, all the more power to you! If you haven’t though, I encourage you to find comfort in knowing that just by observing, you’re well on your way. Step back, take a look around the world around you and appreciate it for all its’ beauty and shortcomings, knowing that somewhere between those, that somewhere in the middle of those two where we’ll come in. Patience, my friend.
Written by: Amanda Chu | IQ Associate
