I strongly believe the sure way to become truly successful is by becoming an entrepreneur. My definition of success here is the ability to make an impact on the world alongside the money, fame and all the people who would like to sleep with you. So i started reading a lot about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs from a young age and i realized the successful ones started either very early in their lives (Richard Branson) or the latter part of their lives (Colonel Sanders). I have a theory of why this is so. I think being an entrepreneur or founding a startup is primarily fueled by passion before any other factor comes to play. When you notice something in a field you are passionate about and you believe you can make a difference, beginning a startup is the way to deal with that problem. Or you notice an opportunity in a particular field and you work to take advantage of that opportunity. But my little observation makes me draw inferences such as young ones who have the passion to truly make a change do not have the money, resources, connections and what have you to start a business and older people who have the passion likewise lack the time and energy although they might have the money, resources and a powerful network.
Therefore it comes as little surprise to me when i see that a lot of successful young entrepreneurs come from the tech space. Since the requirements for writing a program, software or app is quite minimal as compared to a young chap who wants to introduce a new food product unto the market. As a young person who wants to start a business one day, i continuously begin to see why that might never happen as the days and months go by. I started writing this blog in May of this year to get my ideas to spread and allow people to also read my thoughts. True, i have heard of bloggers who make so much money off their blogs but it takes a period of about 4-7 years before you can really make so much out of a blog that you stop looking at other sources of income. What matters to me the most is to tell my own version of the African story to anyone who cares to listen (read). That is why i write solely on the two things that i'm passionate about at this time of my life which is travel and entrepreneurship. My writing has given me opportunities to write on other blogs and websites which is great by the way but then it doesn't make me any real money. For someone who's out of school and an aspiring entrepreneur, until my dreams of founding your own startup materializes, i am tempted to look for a job so that i can earn money in the mean time.
The "let me find a job to get by" phase is when most aspiring entrepreneurs hit the brick wall and never return. Because a steady stream of income can make you very comfortable. You know that at a certain point in the month something will fall into your account, and then there is settling down, starting a family. By the blink of an eye, you're fervently preparing for retirement and the startup never gets done. Because a job doesn't end at the stipulated time frame that an employer gives. There are various nuances and subtleties that comes with a job which might take up you free time. Like bringing work related task home, wondering whether your boss will fire you for the blunder you committed the other day, and all the social events and drama that surrounds the life of your co-workers. Therefore it takes a person who has real fortitude, passion and determination to combine a startup (considering how hard it is in the beginning) with a full time job. So it comes as no surprise to me that successful entrepreneurs start really young at a point where they don't have any idea of the bitter/sweet 9-5 drudgery or at a late age where after a point of holding a series of odd/boring and various jobs that do not interest them, they have a "light bulb" and decide to become entrepreneurs.
As i sit here approaching a quarter life, i really really really hope i don't become the latter.
The "let me find a job to get by" phase is when most aspiring entrepreneurs hit the brick wall and never return. Because a steady stream of income can make you very comfortable. You know that at a certain point in the month something will fall into your account, and then there is settling down, starting a family. By the blink of an eye, you're fervently preparing for retirement and the startup never gets done. Because a job doesn't end at the stipulated time frame that an employer gives. There are various nuances and subtleties that comes with a job which might take up you free time. Like bringing work related task home, wondering whether your boss will fire you for the blunder you committed the other day, and all the social events and drama that surrounds the life of your co-workers. Therefore it takes a person who has real fortitude, passion and determination to combine a startup (considering how hard it is in the beginning) with a full time job. So it comes as no surprise to me that successful entrepreneurs start really young at a point where they don't have any idea of the bitter/sweet 9-5 drudgery or at a late age where after a point of holding a series of odd/boring and various jobs that do not interest them, they have a "light bulb" and decide to become entrepreneurs.
As i sit here approaching a quarter life, i really really really hope i don't become the latter.
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