5 Things that Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin, the main character, is a 6-year-old kid with an unfathomed perspective on life. He shares opinions on daily happenings, with a sense of mischief and innocence. Although all of his adventures revolve around himself, one can always derive deep insights from them. Other characters include Hobbes, his fantasy friend (a tiger doll that comes to life in his private musings), his parents, and his classmate Susie, on whom he has a crush, but, is too proud to admit. We at YourStory decided to do some R&D over this ‘genious’ and came up with the following points relevant to entrepreneurs starting up:
1. Got the conviction that your idea is superb? It is.
The level of motivation during the genesis of an idea debilitates because of blabber from a crowd. It is more about unlearning old stuff and learning the new than just clogging your brain with unnecessary information. Take the plunge, you will soon rise. Act, don’t be afraid of going against the herd, entropy is inevitable and necessary!
2. Trust your co-founder/s, you’re in the same boat
A mutual trust should be there throughout your startup journey. At times minor glitches may occur in your relationship, undermine their potential to hinder your journey. You're rowing the same boat and hence called "co-founders". Calvin values the importance of a true friend in one’s life.
3. Keep some patience, the best things come late.
Yes, your idea is superb, you have set up a great team and have also been backed by funding, so now what? Will rushing with the launch of a product or spending heavily at one go help? Take time, ponder over the crucial matters that might affect your startup in a large way. A mad-rush might cause a mishappening.
4. The journey is going to be tough, rough, but fun!
Your job might be getting a fat paycheck without having to do anything more than sitting in the comfort of your office, but does that satiate your conscience? It sounds safe but are you really loving it? Just like the feeling one gets while skiing down a hill, you will experience a thrill while buiding your startup and then will be able to subvert the “safe job” feeling!
5. Get a holistic perspective of your startup.
Many times it happens that you tend to lose the original aim that you had been working over for so long. Take some time off, rest awhile and try to reflect upon what you had set upon to achieve and where you have reached. This will largely assist you in reflecting upon yourself, setting newer targets and raising the bar. Calvin certainly commands a lot of respect for this one.
[Pics courtesy: Andrew and McMeel, Quora, alphabetworld.wordpress.com, banters.com and the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson]