soooo, as my career has not exactly been going the way I imagined, changing jobs in every other year on average since ages and with most of the companies I worked for being out of business, I'm thinking about starting a company. I'm thinking, when business is bad, as an employee, I'm out anyway. But if business is good, I get the same salary no matter how much effort I put in my work. I still have ambition, but spending my free time to put together proposals about stuff that I think would save the company money and do free work without reward is pointless.
With my own company I could scale. And if I have to deal with bad people every once in a while, argue, negotiate and take shit every once in a while, I might as well do it in my own business.
On top of all this, even though I've always thought of myself as the typical employee, the idea of doing everything myself, organising, managing, keeping in touch with clients, making all the decisions and taking all the responsibility sounds very, very exciting.
I worked for advertising companies and can design stuff. I was a team leader a few times, I know accounting and financial planning basics. I've already put together a few financial models for a few private label product ideas I have. I'm also doing market research.
So I started cozying up to the idea that I should study business and brainstorm ideas and start a company in the future. But I'm also afraid of all the things that it takes, of course.
Why should I not do it?
Why should I do it?
If I should do it… What do I do next?
What books should I read?
What course should I do?
Who do I talk to?
I got the idea of starting a business in my head. Help me decide.
byu/mehun007 inEntrepreneur
Posted by mehun007
3 Comments
you’re already thinking like a founder, the frustration you describe is usually what pushes people to try, not some shiny idea, reasons not to do it are real though, income instability, decision fatigue, and the fact that responsibility never turns off, if you hate uncertainty it will drain you fast
reasons to do it are also clear in your case, you already have useful skills, you enjoy ownership, and you’re tired of effort not matching reward, that’s a strong signal
next step isn’t studying business for years, it’s testing reality, pick one small service or product you can ship fast using skills you already have, design work or consulting is perfect, try to get your first paying client before overthinking anything
books keep it practical, the mom test, company of one, and lean startup are enough, avoid motivational stuff, talk to people already running small boring businesses, not influencers, that’ll give you a much clearer picture than any course
You already answered your own question tbh. You’re not romanticising entrepreneurship, you’re reacting to incentives. As an employee you carry downside risk with capped upside. You’ve seen companies fail, you still lose your job, and when things go well the reward doesn’t scale with effort. That’s a rational reason to consider building your own thing. The excitement you describe about owning decisions and responsibility is also a big tell. People who shouldn’t start businesses usually fantasise about freedom and money, not accountability and friction.
Why you shouldn’t do it: it will be lonelier than you expect, progress will feel slower than any job you’ve had, and for a long time nobody will care as much as you do. Your income will be less predictable, and your weaknesses will get exposed fast. If you need external validation, structure handed to you, or safety as a default, it’s brutal.
Why you should: you already have overlapping skills across design, leadership, numbers and research. That combo is rare and perfect for small businesses. You’re already doing the work mentally and emotionally without the upside. Starting doesn’t mean quitting tomorrow, it means testing reality instead of debating it in your head. Fear doesn’t go away by thinking, only by shipping something small and seeing what actually happens.
Do it 🤷♂️
It is very hard on many points when you work for yourself, but way better than working for someone else.
Discipline yourself, find a great idea that solves an issue, just keep in mind to advertise your idea in the process of creating it, like to find testers and make it visible before official launch, because the hardest part in a business is to find the right people to use it. And little by little, if your idea is good, people will talk about it and use it.