After a year of failure, this is what I learned from entrepreneurship.

*Good old fashioned typing this out by hand btw

A year ago, I quit school to pursue entrepreneurship. I was traveling in Asia at the time, and for the first time I felt that I had met my people. Humans that were just as in love with building as I was. They saw opportunity, where most people back at home were looking for jobs, and quitting their dreams. I met my cofounder while traveling, then moved to a country where I knew no one.

FASTFORWARD to one of the mentally hardest years of my life, I found that I have NEVER learned more about myself than when I was living a life that others cannot relate to.

It is lonely. You are changing. No one can understand your change, thoughts, and belief systems. I lost friends. Found who were my real friends.

During this time, I chose to keep my head down, and focus on building our project.

This is what I learned from that year (I hope you are taking action where you need to):

1. Find your target customer (the people who's problems you would like to fix, + can pay for the help) and talk with them about their problems.
~ I saw this really good hack, where you just find the places where your ICP (ideal customer profile) hangs out irl or online, and have them take a survey in return for something they need. GIVE VALUE BEFORE ASKING*

2. Build mental resilience//Get over your feelings about "failure". Literally one of the stupidest things ever has been schools handing you the letter grade "F", and making everyone terrified of it. Guess what? No failure = no learning. No learning = no improvement. No improvement = stagnation = dead business/expensive job. You learn more from failure than from winning. If you are NOT failing – you are not trying hard enough.

3. Being surrounded by the right people make building so much easier. If your friends aren't the right people, allow them to stay who they are, and spend some time working on meeting the right ones.

4. Pay attention to what you consume. Remove what's not serving you. (if it has nothing to do with business, then it better give you energy. )

5. There's an infinite way to build.

6. Keep expenses low.

7. Learn to be there for yourself. If you are building something, know that you are the only thing that can make or break your future. No one else – not any single opportunity. Until you are lying dead in a ditch, there is always a way forward.

~ This last one may not make sense. But loneliness is the worst. But learning how to be there to support your health, knowledge, growth – this is the most important thing. Not everyone will be able to be there to console you, from my experience, learning how to take care of yourself is crucial to becoming more resilient.

8. There is nothing better than having knowledge. Use it, and gain more. Share it when you have some. // this goes for contacts as well (value people's time, give value upfront)

Let me know some of the things you guys have learned through entrepreneurship ~ I would love to know. + share your firsthand advice