Lame reasons to give up before you even start

I often hear people claim to have good ideas for a business, but say they can’t pursue them for one reason or another. Some of course are valid, but others are misconceptions that deserve to be revisited. Here are the top five from my experience.

1. I don’t have the business skills

Not having business experience is not necessarily a problem. There are several ways for a person with a good idea for a product or service to develop it into a business, regardless of his/her background. First, you can look for a business savvy co-founder, someone you trust and that can take the lead on the business side while you focus on developing your product. Second, you can look for structured initiatives that support startups through mentorship and guidance, such as business incubators and institutional programs, like I-Corps and others. Third, you may join an accelerator, like Y-Combinator, TechStars and dozens of others, where mentorship and funding come hand-in-hand. (However, as I point out in another post, you do have to bring something to the table other than just an idea.)

2. I don’t have the technical skills

This is the other extreme to the excuse above: not having the technical skills to develop your product or concept. This is even less of a problem because, if you have the business skills and can articulate the commercial value of your idea, finding engineers or coders to build a prototype or MVP should not be so hard. You might engage them by offering equity (even bringing someone in as co-founder and potential future CTO), royalty payments, or raising a little seed capital to pay consulting fees. You can also explore partnerships with universities and other research centers. If you got something big and present yourself properly, finding the right resources to build your product should not be a deterrent. (Note: In my companies we have built software and websites without previously knowing much about coding – we simply mobilized the right resources).

3. I don’t have the time

Well, you don’t have to immediately quit your job or drop out of school to launch your startup. Most entrepreneurs begin to develop their ideas working a few hours at night and on weekends. If you are really passionate about your idea, you can certainly put on 30+ hours a week even if you are working full-time or going to school. You can also involve people who would put a few hours of their own. After 6-12 months in this “part-time” fashion, you should be able to at least reach a point where you can make an educated decision about betting the next couple of years full-time on it.

4. I don’t have the money

Raising funds for early stage is certainly not easy. But nowadays, building a prototype or MVP is much cheaper than it used to be, so funding needs are much lower on average than say 10+ years ago. There are several free or cheap tools for building products (open source software, Wix.com and others for websites, 3D printers for hardware, CrowdSpring and the like for design etc.) and marketing them (Salesforce, Facebook pages, blogs etc). Similarly, funding has become a bit easier with tools like Angel.co, that match angel investors with entrepreneurs, crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter, and the angel clubs and networks that sprout all over the place. Also, don’t be shy to approach family and friends for seed capital or loans, they will likely appreciate your efforts (as long as you are transparent about the risks). Finally, you may be able to get a lot done without any funding at all, just by bootstrapping and involving the right partners, who would work for equity or success-based returns.

5. I don’t have connections (nobody knows me)

Today it is easier than ever to make your voice heard and connect with people. Even if you don’t know anyone in the industry and don’t have a track record to show for, if you build something that people care about, you will be able to reach the right persons. Check your LinkedIn connections (if you don’t have a LinkedIn account, get one yesterday!) and see if anyone in your network (2nd and 3rd levels included) knows a person you need to reach: ask for an intro. Sign up for all relevant Facebook/LinkedIn groups and take part in discussions. Participate in industry events, meet people, shake hands, network. Cold-call if you have to, just make sure you do it with taste. Start blogging/tweeting about your product or industry. In other words, if you don’t have connections, just make them.

If you believe you have a winning business proposition, as well as the drive and guts to pursue it, none of the issues above should deter you from going for it!

See also Time To Start A Business – Or Not. Picture: ThinkingForward (Tumblr).

Are you sitting on a good business idea? Leave us a comment!