When I was 7 years old, my parents gave my first encyclopedia for kids. I read the whole book page by page, as nobody told me that I don’t have to read it that way like other books. After that, I decided to become a scientist.
Things changed when I was 12 or 13 when I discovered the internet. It was 3 years before Google and the whole city had slower connection than each of our smartphones today. Then I decided that the internet is my future field of work and I do keep it today.
Some of my friends started their own online business when they were 15 – 16 even earlier (Like Jan Rezab from Socialbakers, for example). I wanted to study university over building business. I never regret this decision.
1. Don’t give a shit
However, I always wanted to start a business. It was adventurous, thrilling. It was a way how to change the world, even just a little bit. I even started a small one while studying, but I dropped it few months later. I was scared. What if it did not work out? What would my friends, classmates and other people say? What if I failed?
There is a great talk on this:
Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Steve Jobs
I did now that when I was on college, but I know now. Thinking about what others think is a waste of time.
2. Tommorow means never
I did not start any business during college. So I changed plans and became a management consultant for a „Big 4“ company. I loved the job, but I know that this is not the final stop for me. I still wanted to do something more entrepreneurial. So I waited to get a business idea. And I waited. Some more of my friends started a business, but I waited. I asked myself: How do the people do it to get those great business ideas?
Adam Grant speaks about original thinkers:
The greatest Originals fail the most, because they’re the ones that try the most.
Adam Grant
I did not fail at anything, but I did not try anything. All the successful people failed. All of them also had doubts and their first ideas were crap. I wish I had known that few years earlier.
3. Tell what you want and let the people help you
After 4 years in consulting, my work shifted from the actual consulting to more corporate management role. I did less consulting and more corporate politics and boring operative work.
One Friday, I was at a wedding. Instead of enjoying the big day of my friends, I spend more than 3 hours on useless corporate conference calls. This was the turning point. I decided to quit.
Barbara Sher is the founder/inventor of life coaching. This is a video from TEDxPrague (read my article about it: Dreamers who dream, dreamers who do. ) Listen to her sure method how to get what you want (Interesting especially after 15th minute):
Tell people what you want and what your obstacle is. That make people want to help you even if they don’t like you. It always works.
Barbara Sher
I wanted to join a startup, but not in the seed stage, but a later stage, helping it to grow, but I did not know any. I told it to around 10 friends in the tech & startup world. 2 months ago, I got a call from Jan from Usertech. He wanted to invest in a startup, eHotel.cz, but had no one to run it. So I become a CEO of the company and live happy ever since.
My road from wanting to be scientist to the startup CEO was long and winding. If I could go back and send a message to younger self, I would show myself these 3 videos.
I have more dreams and plans. I know, that if I want to achieve them, I have to think through what I do every day. TED talks help me with that.
Líbilo?
Jestli se vám články líbí, rád vám každý čtvrtek pošlu přehled těch nových za předchozí týden:
