Side effects of being an entrepreneur
It is not an easy decision to be an entrepreneur. Though some become an entrepreneur by choice, there are others who become by chance. But what is certain is that this path is strewn with hurdles and roadblocks. How do they negotiate the road less travelled? And what are the side effects of being an entrepreneur? We spoke to a cross section of entrepreneurs to find out.
Manoj Surya, Manger at IIIT Hyderabad’s Incubation Center, says the initial stages of being an entrepreneur are the best and worst experiences of life. “It depends on how passionate you are about making things work out not just for you but for your team. In the beginning you feel that you know everything but you learn the hard way and realize that there is a lot of unlearning and learning to do. This is like skydiving, but mid-air you realize the parachute will not open.”
Comedian Praveen Kumar says the side effect is that everything happens on the side! For example, he says, “The expenses just continue to flow in the sides without control. Entrepreneurs do not only have to work hard to create a world class product, they have to spend an equal time and effort at other side activities like marketing, sales, relationships, customer service etc. Sometimes these activities can take up more time and effort so much so that an entrepreneur either gives up or has a nervous breakdown.”
Shrawan Raja, the CEO of IndianAutosBlog, says that entrepreneurship has made him patient, so patient that his search for excellence is still on since the past six years. He says today he has become more patient, waiting for traffic jams to clear out or waiting for the lift -- but these are the after effects. “The feeling of restlessness and the passion to do something big though always remains from the day when the entrepreneurship bug bites you.”
Vishnu Prasath, another entrepreneur, takes us through the harsh realities. “The phone never stops ringing and after a point you become so addicted to it that you do not have time for people who are present around you. Adding to that, everything is just extremes for an entrepreneur, be it emotions, sleeping hours or eating habits. I have observed that it is very difficult to change these habits. Every entrepreneur is aware of the value of time management, but even then there is always a rush to jump into things, which may or may not be fruitful. But when you have do it, you have to do it!”
Ashwin Krishnamoorthy from his experience in Bloodline , says, “Entrepreneurship is like a nagging girl friend, it is constantly demanding attention. In an entrepreneur’s life no victory lasts more than a day. Every day you are back to square one, but solving a different problem. There is another thing, you cannot see her fail as it is your failure. Failure is a nightmare which constantly keeps nagging an entrepreneur even if they are an established brand.
In the end, entrepreneurship is a beautiful journey which you choose for yourself, and hopefully a decision you will never regret.
We would love to hear from you about the side- effects you experience as an entrepreneur. Do Share it with us
