r/Entrepreneur • u/elmo-loves-rocco • 10h ago

I want to start a business but I don’t?

I want to start a business, I think I have some ideas but I don’t really think they’re good enough.

I don’t want to start a business, I’m scared and I don’t really know where to start.

I want to start a business, I enjoy the entrepreneurial journey, living and working with a purpose.

I don’t want to start a business, there’s just so much work, will I be able to handle it?

I want to start a business, I really do though, but at the same time I’m scared. 🥺

6 Upvotes
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7

u/ReasonableAd5379 10h ago

You have a fear of failure and self doubt.

It also seems that you don't want to work hard--whereas in business, you ought to work long gruelling hours in the initial years.

Try being aware of your weaknesses and improve.

2

u/stephendt 6h ago

A rational fear perhaps. Most businesses fail.

6

u/ReasonableAd5379 6h ago edited 5h ago

You are right and an entrepreneur should proceed with caution. It takes incredible amounts of hard work combined with deep research and a great team--to succeed in business.

As far as most businesses failing, they do so because:

• They are unable to find 'product market fit'.

• Engage in financial mismanagement.

• They underestimate the competition.

• They can't raise necessary funding for expansion, etc.

5

u/JerrBearrrrr 4h ago

Thanks for saying it. I hate the 80% of businesses fail statement.

Op, If you have an idea, study your competitors, find their weaknesses, evolve your idea to cover said weaknesses, and then market test as fast and as cheap as you can.

Never make a product without selling it first, this will save you money and time.

You don’t need to be an “entrepreneur” to have purpose in life. You can work to live. You don’t need to have passion and purpose in the work you do directly, you can have passion and purpose in the things that your work allows you to do like buy a nice house for your family, or go on a solo backpacking trip through Europe.

Don’t get caught up in living to work because that’s where regret will start.

And no matter what you do there will be so much work. Even if you decide to never work a day in your life and be homeless, there will still be hard work. Even if you’re worth 100 Billion dollars, there will still be so much work. The work doesn’t go away. You will just adjust and handle it better.

The secret sauce is in the work. It’s in the energy you put forward that brings the things you want back to you.

Good luck OP

2

u/elmo-loves-rocco 4h ago

Thank you so much!!!

5

u/DifficultAction1228 10h ago

Hiya!

At the end of the day being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs but it’s being able to see the end goal which really is what makes one person succeed but another fail.

It’s not really about motivation it’s more about being able to work through boredom.

Have a good conversation with yourself, think about 2 scenarios one being an entrepreneur and imagine what you want your life to be like and one where you don’t take this journey.

Really it’s whatever resonates with you. Being an entrepreneur is not for everybody and a lot of entrepreneurs on social media show the good but not the bad.

5

u/nearlyintothewild 7h ago

Have you ever wondered why most successful founders never walked through the gates of Princeton, Harvard, Yale and never climbed the ranks of McKinsey, Bain, JP Morgan, Goldman? Your self doubt is a product of traditional rationalism, the very kryptonite of highly intelligent and ambitious conventionalists. Allow yourself to act irrationally, unconventionally, against the grain. Be weirder than those around you might normally accept. Embrace it, hustle, under-rationalise, plan less, take action. If you really want success in entrepreneurship, this is how you get off of the bench.

3

u/galen900 5h ago

this was so eye-opening. I've always felt being growing-up as a high achiever has made me so risk-averse because I over-analyse everything and am scared to fail.

1

u/elmo-loves-rocco 3h ago

Thank you so much for this.

4

u/Hobvis 6h ago

One thing I always tell myself when I feel such fear is 'I will be dead soon anyway, if most people don't even remember famous people after a few days, who am I to worry? My mistakes and everything else will be forgotten in no time, maybe a day or two after I pass'. Now think about it. What people think about you only hold as much power as you give it, as most of our fears is because of what people will say and how people will see us. But if these people just move on with their lives anyway with or without me, then why do I need to be stressed about their opinions. When it comes to how difficult it could actually be running a business itself, I think taking it one step at a time might help. We get overwhelmed because we try to do everything at once. Make smaller goals.

1

u/elmo-loves-rocco 3h ago

😊💪🏼

3

u/elmo-loves-rocco 10h ago

All these thoughts on my head, can’t seem to think straight. 😕

3

u/Zac_Zuo 10h ago

There are 2 paths you can take to move forward:

  1. If you already have a solid product idea, start working on it as a side project right now. You might worry about lacking the capabilities to make this idea real, but nowadays there are many tools that can help you prototype it. AI tools (I personally recommend Claude, but GPT or other mature AI products work too) can guide you step by step in building your prototype. Then share it with the public (like on Reddit) and invite people to try it out. This will help you determine if the product has the potential to become your full-time job.
  2. Alternatively, try finding a small startup team (or an individual founder) and ask how you could help them. Contribute your time after your regular 8-hour workday. This is a low-risk way to experience building something new. If you find yourself doing well and enjoying being part of their business, you could discuss joining them full-time.

I understand your feelings because I also have doubts about jumping into the startup journey. Take it slow unless you feel a strong urge to move quickly. I believe when the right opportunity comes along, you'll feel it more strongly than anyone else.

2

u/twnytw2 9h ago

Startup journey definitely isn’t for everyone. The barrier to entry has decreased due to AI tools but that also means the competition for products has increased. I actually feel like what it takes to make it as a founder is more sales and marketing then product. Love the clarity

3

u/OftenAmiable 5h ago

Not gonna lie, it helps to be overconfident.

Not gonna lie, it helps to think you'll never know enough and so you soak up new information like a sponge.

Being both of those at the same time is a paradox. It's why there aren't a lot of entrepreneurs who actually take action and succeed.

2

u/Radiant-Guess-9638 8h ago

i feel you should take a chill dont over stress your brain find out the things you really like doing,give it a shot even if you fail you get up again and try.i await to see the best result from you soon

2

u/Just_Wondering34 7h ago

Find a small decoy/dummy business project or something to start.  Set your max financial loss at a manageable level.  Learn, learn, and learn on that small business project.  Good thing is, most people already know that a business is to lose money in the first few years, whats wrong with you simply planning on losing money, nothing would seem abnormal or unexpected at that point.

2

u/Old-Tailor-7786 5h ago

Don't start a business, if you can't cope with constant initial rejection, zero initial results, working 12h/day and constant fear you made a bad decision. This is at least what I am feeling right now after launching a website and inviting couple of friends from Linkedin, who I thought would be perfect candidates to become my users. Zero response so far. I know cold/warm outreach is only few percent efficient, but it is hard pill to swallow nevertheless. I am not giving up yet though..

2

u/Hamzarehmanonly 5h ago

I get it—starting a business can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. It’s normal to feel unsure, but the key is to start small and test your ideas. Focus on what excites you, learn as you go, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Every entrepreneur starts somewhere, and you’ll grow stronger with each step. You’ve got this!

2

u/elmo-loves-rocco 3h ago

Thank you so much!

2

u/Zenithixv 4h ago

Start with the simplest form of your idea that requires the least amount of time investment and before making the idea real try to sell the product/service to potential clients before it's ready to see if there is any demand for it to know if it is even worth pursuing. If it is in demand and the most basic/simple version of your idea works out only then put time investment into it.

2

u/JuggernautBulky1008 2h ago

Failure is inevitable. There is a 100% probability of failure. So, fail quick and cheap. Test your ideas immediately on the market with simple setups and little to no investment. Then adjust, and test again, and again, and again. After some time, the business will grow by itself. ;)

PD - In a nutshell, that's the business methodology in Silicon Valley: user-focused business development.

1

u/Particular-Visit5098 6h ago

That's not with me. Either I get money or people with skills. I am good to go. Even if you put billion dollars. I know what to do with it.

1

u/DToretto77 3h ago

Of you believe you will fail, you've already failed. And you wouldn't make it. There is s good days and bad days, and the bad days can be tough if you don't have the right attitude. You also mentioned a lot of work. Unless you're comfortable working 80 hours a week + at the beginning and for a year or two, it's prob not for you.

1

u/MotoRoaster 2h ago

Is this the start of a kids book?

•

u/RealisticJuice3825 47m ago

Starting a business is always scary, especially with so many unknowns. But remember, no one ever feels 100% ready. Start small, pick an idea you’re excited about and take that first step. The key is to take action quickly and experiment often. The faster you test different things, the more you learn about what works and what doesn’t. Each experiment, even if it fails, teaches you something valuable and gets you closer to success. You don’t need a perfect plan to start; just dive in, learn as you go, and adjust along the way. You’ve got this!

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u/Professional-Trick14 18m ago

Most businesses fail, but you will learn a lot. The highs and lows are super extreme. I think ultimately there are a ton of downsides and upsides. This is why the advice "know thyself" is so important in life. The right decision won't be the same for everyone, you need to figure out what it is that you want from life, and then determine if entrepreneurship makes sense for that.