The best advice I can give an aspiring entrepreneur? Don’t start. That might sound counterintuitive coming from someone who’s built and exited four successful tech companies, but let’s get real for a moment.
At a talk I gave at CU Boulder, a young woman asked what I’d say to someone thinking about leaving their career to become an entrepreneur. My answer: Don’t do it. It’s too hard, too lonely, and you’re likely to fail both personally and professionally. The person you see in the mirror will be unrecognizable in less than a year.
No matter how much you think you know—about your market, competition, customers, capital—you’re wrong. Even if you have decades of experience, the odds are stacked against you. The biggest players in your space have more data, capital, and connections than you could ever hope to gather. And let’s get real about mental health: your risk of depression and addiction can more than double.
I’m not trying to scare you away, but to give you the brutal truth. On paper, you shouldn’t win. You should quit right now.
But if you’re still reading, you might just be one of the crazy few who have what it takes. The entrepreneurs who ignore the odds, feel a calling, and have been hustling since day one. If you see the challenges as just another mountain to climb, then maybe, just maybe, you’re built for this.
Why do you have a shot? Because you’re not rational. You have unusual drive, a unique perspective, and a willingness to take risks. You want to change something—you’re not okay with the status quo. Your competition? They don’t have you.
This journey will be the hardest, loneliest thing you ever do. So why move forward? Only you can answer that.