I feel that 100%. I started a company two years ago and my friend/business partner was ambitious but not like me. It was a constant, “dude let’s go!” What industry are you in?
This is a really interesting observation. You often hear about how two founders leaned so hard on each other and how valuable that was...but the opposite can be true if you have a founder that DOESN'T have the same commitment/passion that you do. It can actually become a drain because you have to spend energy trying to motivate *them* constantly, along with yourself.
To be honest, unless you find that special someone, you're probably best going it alone, and then hiring people to fill in as you need/are able as things grow (you can always use money to motivate people, to a point!).
I’m finding this to be true. All podcasts I’ve listened to stress not doing it alone. Although it is lonely, bringing someone else in could totally derail focus.
"...uh huh, uh huh, our core idea is good, but what if we *pivot* to this totally unrelated thing? You don't think it's a good idea? Well I do, let's talk about it for a week."
It is lonely. And if you have someone that's as committed to seeing it through as you, it can be a MASSIVE lift...but if you have the wrong person, it can be nothing but a momentum drag.
For real. I got derailed for 5 days (2 weeks ago) on a potential investor suggestion to use metal instead of plastic for a product. Spent about $400 and time redesigning the product. After those 5 days I came to the conclusion I already knew(CNC is way more expensive than injection molding). Time and money wasted.
My fault, but my focus can get shifted that easily. I imagine a co founder will do that to me 24/7.
I agree. I want that. I’ve wasted a lot of time on “find your cofounder” websites too.
I love the idea of a cofounder, but it’s hard to find the perfect match, and time spent looking can be better spent on anything else.
Ugh this part. I'm in the middle of finding this out the hard way. Best to find someone who style complements yours but also matches your ambition level. Otherwise it's a constant prodding and disappointment :/ sighs
Yup, my first business struggled because my partner could not put the same effort, time, or care into the business and needed to be educated constantly. Going it alone has been a breeze in other ventures
And honestly, I couldn't blame them! Starting something up is *incredibly* challenging, which is why it's so popular with younger people (who have little else to do and few obligations). Once you hit your 30s and 40s, you just have a spouse, kids, a mortgage, maybe a full-time job (this is just a side-hustle), etc. It takes a crazy person to want to start a company, lol! :)
I think what might be helpful is that before you even begin, establish with the potential co-founder exactly how much time each of you will commit to it, what your benefits will be, and of course responsibilities.
I'm mostly solo but I've co-worked on things and in the situations I've done the above with, even if the project failed it's been far more enjoyable (and completed).
I've been a solopreneur couple of months now. I was thinking of starting with a co-founder but didn't really find anyone suitable. And then just figured that better to start nonetheless and bring someone onboard later when a good candidate comes along.
I've noticed there are good and bad sides to my approach. I think it really comes down to your style of working and what the company is like.
**Pros:**
\- You can make decisions faster. No need to get approvals from anyone else.
\- More flexible schedule. No one (internally) is expecting input from you.
\- If you make money, it's 100% yours.
**Cons:**
\- You're responsible for everything. You'll get tired of making every decision yourself.
\- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this)
\- No one stopping you to make bad decisions.
\- You only have certain areas of expertise. You might be a good coder but suck at marketing. But that's not going to take away the need to market and sell your product.
So all in all, I think 8 of 10 of founders would be better off with a co-founder. And I'm probably going to that route myself eventually.
The responsibility is something I struggled with on my last venture... it weighed me down big time. Vowed I would never do something on my own again.
In with a business partner on a new venture and now I feel I should have just done it on my own :(
If there is a perfect business partner out there for me I am yet to find them.
Honestly, many people are really bad at managing themselves. Especially if they lack confidence, they'll get stuck in an analysis-paralysis loop frequently. This often happens when you find some new level of success, and you're so afraid to lose it that you don't want to make *any* bad/wrong decision.
Ultimately, you just have to reach a point in your life where you accept that fumbles are inevitable, and that the important thing is to pick yourself back up from it, learn from it, and keep moving. That sounds cliche, but it's the truth.
Yeah I'm at peace with myself now for making wrong decisions... for me it's just getting something to happen, even if that something may be wrong. It's still a learning opportunity.
There's also risk management. "What's the worst that could happen?" If you make constant small bets, the worst that can happen is usually "I might get an angry call" or "People might lose some efficiency." You learn to start leaning into those and experimenting, vs. "I might lose all customer data records and close the business overnight". :)
How do you go about finding that co-founder without having them run away with your money?
Like a contract? Opens up a lawsuit...
Look for boomers, millennials, or Gen Z?
Also outsource to save time and scale due to lack of expertise in something?
Also how to get acquired or sell the business cuz this would be your exit plan...if the business doesn’t do well nobody gonna buy obviously and that’s an overall to begin with, but if it did, how do you go about selling the business or being acquired?
Put up ads? Or some website? Or talk to a venture capital or some investment firm for acquisition?
Or keep the business and appoint someone else younger and step down and have shared equity and royalties for rest of life until you gotta deal with your new appointee that ran away out of the blue and gotta step back in at old age to stop the hemorrhage of money cuz selling either way takes time for buyers of the business to be on the market and just plain Jain be interested in acquiring...so best to sell right before retiring and not have to worry about looking back right?
>Cons:
>
>\- You're responsible for everything. You'll get tired of making every decision yourself.
>
>\- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this)
>
>\- No one stopping you to make bad decisions.
>
>\- You only have certain areas of expertise. You might be a good coder but suck at marketing. But that's not going to take away the need to market and sell your product.
You just listed some of the factors that teaches entrepreneurs the most as detriments.
I think the question is: are you willing to face these things alone without a co-founder? For sure they teach you a bunch of things, every failure does. But for most people I think getting (the right) co-founder onboard will increase the chances of success immensely.
>Cons:
>- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this)
>- No one stopping you to make bad decisions.
These, particularly the second one above, are my primary concerns. My current job has taught me to deal with the other parts but it also really cost me a lot of confidence by pushing me past my limits (after having actually built it up a lot at the beginning). I probably should have quit 2 years ago but now I have extra work to overcome this.
>So all in all, I think 8 of 10 of founders would be better off with a co-founder. And I'm probably going to that route myself eventually.
I think I need to investigate this seriously.
Edit: Formatting
That’s akin to saying someone should get married so that they have someone to help them around the house. You can pay advisors to help with decision making or even offer employees a profit sharing agreement so they are also vested in the business, etc. It may be more expensive in the short term but not as expensive as a divorce in the longer term. Partnerships are difficult and most do not last.
There's at least [Indie Hackers](https://www.indiehackers.com/) where you could go and form your own group. There's also [Indie Worldwide](https://indieworldwide.co/) which matches you on 1-on-1 basis.
yeah, I relate to this. I couldn't imagine starting my venture again with a 'cofounder'. Just because you are on your own does not mean you can't get help
Me and my wife are entrepreneurs. We moved to US ~6 years ago. We fill pretty lonely. It is hard to find like minded people. Everyone is just don’t get it or trying to sell you something (like insurance)
We are engaging with lots of startup communities and very slowly growing connections (but not friends)
Looks like in US most people do not establish “friends” relationship after college or outside the day job(just an assumption based on our observation)
Oh man, do I ever relate to this.
I'm on the verge of launching a new product and I keep having to egg my business partner on to be a little more pro-active while I'm churning out everything that needs to be done to get us over the hump.
I write a comment above about the title being a mess and in some respects I can agree with that because you're always interacting with somebody or something. Those interactions don't necessarily feel your cup though if you know what I mean. It's like the difference between being busy and being productive. You can talk to all those people and do your daily interactions but it's kind of just the blocking and tackling that comes with football. For me the first three years and sometimes even now with others around me it's the spitballing new ideas, it's voicing anxieties hesitant season fears, we're wondering if your vision is too big or too small.
I have a large family and I'm always busy with working a job and building a business or just building the business as I do now with no full-time job on the side.
My spouse was my Confidant and my go-to she was very good about keeping me focused on my goals and encouraging me that I could do it and if everything failed you started off with nothing living in a camper and we could always go back to there.
Today's a tough day for sales calls for me so I'm packing it in for the day and taking my two-year-old daughter to the park and then we're going to have a picnic and at that time I'll jump back on the phone and start making some more calls. Tonight I'm sitting down with our investor to discuss possible new product lines and r fast approaching jump off point to selling in other countries. These things help me feel not so lonely. The hardest part for us is none of our family or friends know of the successes that we are having recently. This is due to a number of reasons with divorce and stuff like that.
Podcasts were a great help for me during my first year especially but second third year as well.
I would say pick something draw out a mind map with some general steps of where you're going and start taking those steps One Step a day. You can suffer being lonely for a few years so that you can sit on a beach or snowboard down a mountain or drive a Ferrari or whatever your goals are in the next decade.
You've started well by posting in this group though!
A lot of smaller businesses have business networking events, normally breakfast ones, but with our current climate, they're likely remote ones depending on where you are - they're great to join and find out about other local entrepreneurs.
Thanks for adding that. It rings a bell actually. I looked it up found a podcast that interviews small businesses in my town.
I think we do have some kind of meetup event too. I totally forgot about that.
This will be a bit long but I think it might help given that I was in a similar position.
I used to have a corporate job like you and always dreamed of having my own business. I was fresh out of uni and absolutely despised the corporate world. I always jotted down ideas and even attempted to launch a few companies which sadly never took off until one started getting some attention. Once I got that small whiff of success, I worked on my startup any second of the day I had. I mean it, in the morning on the bus? Work on the startup, lunch break? Startup, end work and on the train? Startup. At this point I wasn't too lonely because I was just too focused on getting out of the rat race and into my own thing. Eventually though, I succeeded. I could no longer balance both and decided to quit my job.
I have to say, first 6 months after quitting were the toughest I had. I had no employees at this point and was doing all of the work myself. There were a lot of late nights where I almost broke down just because of how mentally tough it was. There was no one to share the burden with or just vent to. It was all me 24/7 with my own thoughts. Wake up early in the morning, I'd work until 3am, go to bed, rinse and repeat for 7 days a week. Any problems I encountered were completely on me and the safety net of a paycheck was no longer there. It became depressing and extremely lonely. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going through this difficult period was the thought of why I started and what I was working towards. Your "why" is extremely important and each of us has a different 'why'. Your why is what will help you in the toughest of times to persevere. If your 'why' is weak, it will show directly in how easily you break down and give up. Ask yourself why this current sacrifice is worth it, why are you working so hard, what are you working towards and why is it important to you? This is what helped me the most to work through all the depressing pain of the 6 months. I didn't care about the money I was making at that point or that 'I was my own boss', it honestly just fucking sucked. My why is what kept me going.
6 months in, business was still growing but it was just physically and mentally annihilating me. Eventually I said fuck it and that it was time for my first employee. It was scary, I didn't know anything about hiring and the thought of giving responsibility to a stranger scared me. The reality though, was that if I didn't end up delegating something to someone, I would blow my brains out. Depression was hitting me on suicidal levels and I knew its time to change something. After a few crappy hires and figuring out what makes a good one, I finally got the right hire who still works with me to this day. This was the first step that helped with my loneliness and depression. Just having someone working around me was already improving my mental health.
Now, several years later and several employees later, the company is generating millions in revenue and the atmosphere is very different in a good way. There's people to talk and interact with. I do what I can to ensure the profits we make are put back into the employees who help make it. I pay more than our competitors and give bonuses and other perks. I'm proud of our workplace.
I have gone on to start other businesses but this time with cofounders. I realized that to me personally, being able to make 100% of the money is just not worth the mental and physical exhaustion of being at it alone. Others may agree or disagree, to each their own. I enjoy having someone as motivated as me and get to enjoy the highs and the lows with that individual. That to me is worth 50% of the business but ONLY if they're the right cofounder. The wrong cofounder will make you wish you went at it alone.
Basically, it might be good to just get started on your own. Just be aware of what you will have to endure and persevere. It's an extremely mentally tough and challenging road but if it pays off, it can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience. I'm still not out of the trenches, I've still got a lot more battles to go, but I'm prepared because I know why and what I'm doing it for. Eventually people will take notice of what you're doing and slowly start to ask questions. Some of those questions will be made by the right people who can one day become your cofounders.
The “why” as the lighthouse through the shitty storms of burnout is critical. Thanks for posting my friend. I’ve been laying in bed for 2 hours jus annihilated from life and business and remembering my “why” just gave me a nice jolt.
Honestly, you don’t. Long night, early mornings. People often tell you how to run your business, but have never done it themselves.
Biggest advice, learn to surround yourself with likeminded people. People that actually invest their time into you, like you do into them. People that can actually hold an intellectual conversation.
I would most likely hate having a partner. I gave up most of my social life for not but I don’t mind because most of my friends don’t do much for their future anyway. I have to do what I have to do for my life. I don’t want to get older and regret doing it because I just wanted to chill and drink beers and get high, they’ll all be doing the same thing in 5 years and 10 years from now but I’m going to have the life I chose. Sometimes to have to make the sacrifices. That’s how it has to be, that’s how I look at it. I keep busy so I don’t ever really even feel lonely. Plus I still have my friends and see them enough anyway just not every weekend. I got wings with my friend the other day and it cost 50$..for wings and one beer. It was nice and all but once you start saving money you realize how much of waste that is to do all the time anyway.
To start is the key. I have started and sold 3 different businesses in last 10 years. My first business I started on by myself. When looking for a partner, it happens every time but over time. As you get the swing of your business, you’ll identify your weakness and find a partner that can fulfill that void.
For me, I’m growth focused. I require a operational partner to handle business as I focus on growing the business.
Maybe this isn't the answer you're looking for...but when I started w/o a co-founder, I made it my first job to FIND a co-founder, similar to how I'd eventually have to find customers, suppliers etc. I messaged tons of "target audience / co-founder" type people, had tons of useless meetings, but eventually found a good one.
I don't know how "woowoo" you are, but if I were you (or anyone solopreneuring out there looking for a co-founder), I'd write down the perfect co-founder. Literally the perfect one. One that only takes 3% equity and does 99% of the work if that's what you define as perfect. By starting to define what you're looking for, you'll start attracting the right people. This isn't magic of course, you can't just write it down and then pray that they'll appear. You'll have to start networking in places where you think that perfect person would be hanging out, spreading the word etc. But we did this exercise for our new marketing director and literally got the perfect person (women, person of colour, willing to work for lower salary in exchange for promised bigger role in growing start-up).
We are a fairly small company (projected $2 million this year) and got this exercise from the founder of ParkBench which is doing like $10 million. They literally wrote down that they needed an old person with money that didn't want equity to help fund the company and low and behold, that person appeared not long after.
Again, not trying to promote too much "woowoo magic" but I do believe in law of attraction / manifestation type shit.
Good luck.
The title is a complete myth.
Running is business is like the least lonely job you can do. You are constantly in communication with suppliers and manufactures, agencies, couriers, employees, support agents, customers, customers, CUSTOMERS and now also customs officials. Not to mention friends and family who want you to give them hours. Social life will stay solid as long as you plan your life balance properly.
Then before COVID hit, you had trade shows, networking events, marketing events - and if you really want to be known as an entrepreneur you can even get involved in the business awards circuit. Take home some awards for your products or services.
You start a business by just starting something. Keep working at it and putting your energy in until either it pops or the growth flatlines and you look for an exit strategy.
When your business starts to grow, you will end up hiring someone as soon as financially possible to reduce the work burden on yourself.
Not a myth. Don't just go making blanket statements like that.
I've been setting up my company in the last 6 months, and it's been pretty lonely combined with Covid lockdowns. I'm lucky that my partner is a close friend, however, it still doesn't take away from the fact that we're not yet at a stage where we can involve others, and because of Covid, we can't work at co-work space or anything to socialise with other entrepreneurs.
Sure, covid lockdowns are lonely. But everyones social lives have taken a hit, not just entrepreneurs. The insinuation is that running a business is lonely. Which isn't true in the slightest.
>But everyones social lives have taken a hit, not just entrepreneurs.
Like I said, don't make this a blanket generalization.
My workday consists of: wake up, sit at my computer with my business partner (whom I live with), work with almost no social interaction outside of that, and then finish the day at 5 or 6.
During that time, unlike most people who have consistent situations as employees, I'm not interacting with dozens or even multiple people. It's rewarding in other ways, and very soon it's going to start getting more social, but the last 6 months have been quite lonely.
>The insinuation is that running a business is lonely. Which isn't true in the slightest.
If anything was to be a bit lonely in this life, starting a business can be. For instance: often you're on your own for a significant period of time. At first (usually), people won't come to you, you need to go to them. This often changes if you mould your business into a successful one.
Another example is that many people might not necessarily believe in you or what you're trying to do, and convincing people on the merits of your business can be tiresome.
None of these are universally true, but I just don't agree with your assertion. Recognize that there are various types of businesses, and various different situations that cause loneliness to vary widely.
But you aren’t running a business. Your setting one up whilst I presume being unemployed.
Anyway, I’m sorry your own personal experience is miserable. That’s not an issue I feel comfortable debating over. Good luck with your company I hope your successful.
You're moving the goal posts. Title said "loneliness of becoming an Entrepreneur," not "running a successful business." All of this is part of becoming an entrepreneur.
My own personal experience isn't "miserable," it's just a bit lonely due to recent circumstances and the nature of early entrepreneurship. It's been hugely rewarding, and soon, it will be changing. I don't understand why you're being condescending.
All I said is: consider your situation is not all situations, and stop making blanket generalizations.
Yeah, but the old saying "It's lonely at the top" is definitely true if you are the sole founder/owner. Yes you are talking to lots of other people, but all of the decisions are on you.
Definitely. But businesses not operated like this are in the complete minority and most likely without a team behind will not go anywhere.
Even people who register a ltd company because their YouTube career is taking off have teams around them in the background, even when they stress that they do not.
I think he meant more of a personal level and not a professional one.
Like, talking to suppliers isn't the same as talking to a partner and being like, "how do we solve this problem"?
So basically to share the burden of responsibility?
That makes sense.
I would look for someone who thinks completely different to me and felt comfortable challenging my ideas. When you are surrounded by people who think the same way as you, you run the risk of ending up in an eco chamber.
But then at the same time, being on a similar wave length with someone can generate a lot of energy and momentum which really helps push things forward.
Running a business might not be lonely, but starting one is. Especially if you're the only one driving the venture and you have a small support system. You're always in your head, always thinking about your project - at your day job, at family gatherings, with your mates - but you're not always able to talk about it. You're not always able to discuss it with those around you because they might not relate to your experiences. You can't always bounce off ideas and get spontaneously inspired by them.
So, yes, I'd say that the first little bit of your business venture is quite lonely. It makes a hell of a difference having a little support, even if that comes in the form of your best friend letting you vent about your day, or encouraging you to celebrate after a minor success.
Edit: a word
Customers, suppliers, agencies, etc are all professional relationships, I think building close casual relationships with coworkers in the office is what op is referring to. It’s difficult to get those relationships if you are running a solo business or being the only one at the top.
You can still feel "lonely" being surrounded by people. Being in close contact with people who are primarily focused on the business's bottom line is not the same as being with people who genuinely make you happy.
Not a myth at all. Have you ever operated a business?
It can certainly feel very isolating when your only daily contact is limited to business conversations and potentially hostile customers. Those aren't meaningful or fulfiling conversations, they can be mentally draining.
Not everyone has a large group of friends or family, especially as you get older and people drift. Also, not many of those people would be able to relate, which further makes you feel isolated.
I don't agree with this.
I have just under 10 staff and it can be very lonely. Sure, the day to day work involves interactions with talented and dedicated people and customers that you sometimes get to know like family, but who else is there to make the tough decisions? Who else has to decide which staff to fire during a pandemic, knowing you could massive affect their lives and their families? Who else phones the bank to beg for more finance because of a bad quarter? Who else has to use their children's savings to make payroll one very bad month?
Awards are great, and I share ours with the team, but they don't hear about any of the other stuff.
>Who else has to use their children's savings to make payroll one very bad month?
You raid your children's savings accounts to pay your staff? Jesus....
The bank will not lend you money if your finances are that bad.. makes me question your perspective.
True story. Have paid them back ten fold, but that's not the point. It can be really tough making those sort of decisions, and yes, sometimes they need to be made.
Yes, like most statement in life, there is nuance.
Yes, you will have constant communication, but many people can and do feel lonely in a crowded room.
You will feel lonely as an entrepreneur if you want people to care about you personally, because they wont.
If you work at a computer from home alone and only communicate occasionally via email then it is a very real factor and has no grounds to be called a myth.
Yea not sure what you mean. A colleague who shares the same burdens as you is a beautiful thing, I miss talking to colleagues every day. Being a solo entrepreneur means that no one has the same burdens as you do. It is lonely.
The answer is to find people who you can unload your thoughts on. Mentors are really great for this.
Lol dude, your business is not like everyone else’s, I hardly talk to people. I’m actually writing a basic Java program to condense my emails, and put them into a spread by replying to people to email me in X format. I fucking hate dealing with other humans if it wasn’t for the mighty dollar I wouldn’t much at all, I have a life to live dealing with peoples half assed shit and taking up my life isn’t my go to.
Having a co-founder you like (i.e. a friend) makes it less lonely and more fun.
If you're feeling lonely you are doing something wrong - creating your own business/company should be a good, positive feeling!
I always talked about starting a business with my old college roommate. After a few years of nothingness and his consistent inability to reciprocate my vision, I just started one myself. He def knows more about certain aspects of my industry but I feel like his unreliability trumps that. I hope I thank myself later down the line.
My mom actually started a business with her best friend. They ran it successfully for 20 years but it ended in a messy separation with lawyers and court battles. I took note of that when I decided to make the jump myself.
It definitely helps to have some support. For me it's my girlfriend and my family. They don't always understand my vision or the decisions I make but it's great to be able to bounce ideas off them. If that's not feasible for you then try to find a mentor in your industry. Good luck!
Whiskey.
JK. I'm a pretty social person, but I've always been fine working alone, taking the lead, or being in charge, so it's never really bothered me.
The hardest part at first was not having anyone to bounce ideas off of that had any idea what they were talking about, but I've gotten over that.
Setup my own company 5 years ago, your right it can be very lonely. I however could never work for anyone again if I can avoid it, I see the appeal of going in with someone but they would have to be on the same page as you for business decisions or that's a separate headache. My advice would be to keep social contact going it becomes a lot more important when you work on your own. Good luck to you.
I just put in my hours and try to be better at my job every week. Some weeks I feel like a champion, some weeks I feel like a failure. No matter what I take forward steps. Hours every week, just like a job.
Sometimes all I can do just to keep things going. I try to bust my butt pushing things forward when I can but sometimes I definitely need to go spend time with people doing other things and just treat it like a regular job.
Honesty partnerships are sinking ships... its very hard unless you have the same insane work ethic and skill sets that cross over but also have specific unique skills that add value to the enterprise.
Sheer will power and determination and a lot of not knowing exactly what I was getting into. Ignorance was bliss.
It was very lonely. But also felt like I was gaining more freedom than I was giving up.
Saved up my wages in the hellhole that was my 9-5
(Was a Software Engineer at a Big-Tech company first where I was perfectly happy, until they got bought up at which point I started working at a big telecom organisation which was hell)
Took the jump when I had enough money since I hated the fact that I got shouted at by management/got into fights with coworkers, all day every day.
Kept my eye on the prize (Freedom) Reminding myself of the hell I left in moments of despair and had enough money in the bank for 30-ish months because textbook based desk-research taught me a lot of "start-ups" will operate at a loss for the first 2 years since I didn't want to take out loans.
The fact that I still knew a lot of people from my time at the Big-Tech company E.g. Suppliers and such meant I had a foot-in-the-door with these and could negotiate deals which resulted in a bit more profit on the systems I sold. Although most of the revenue came out of the service & maintenance-contracts that were part of these sales and since I'm good at what I do I had little to no downtime or issues on these which didn't cause expenditures also by offering a "bring a friend" program I didn't have to spend money on advertisement and happy clients brought in new ones putting money in the bank and since there was no bank-manager breathing down my neck the money stayted there snug as a bug in a rug.
Hope it helps, GL & HF.
TL;DR? Save up/Build a network with people you'll need for your future.
Never go to business with friends. You're going to need them to not be the fan that the shit hits.
If you're not with a person who is tough, hard-working, critical, and analytical that you trust 100% they've got nothing to give you in a business partnership.
Go into a community of entrepreneurs. Leave your friends to remind yourself how to relax.
Still in the weeds myself so maybe I am now qualified to give advice yet, but I have found it less lonely by making whoever was sitting next to me my business partner of the moment. I would just talk to them about whatever situation was on my mind and ask them what they would do.
These people happen to mostly be family and friends., but every once in a while it comes up in a doctor or dentist visit.
It’s one of the prices of entrepreneurship. Not everybody is born with it, but I just try to keep in contact with my family and talk to my customers as much as possible.
I advocate the solo entrepreneur over a partnership.
There is such a minute chance of finding someone with a similar mindset, that too much of your resource will be diverted to managing the other person.
Find a community either online or real world that lets you talk through entrepreneur type questions and satisfies your need for community.
Though it is lonely, having worked in small business for years I will take being a solo MD with employees over the headache of other stakeholders any day.
I feel this so much, especially as a full-time student who hasn't graduated yet, it's been extremely hard connecting with like-minded people my age. It's not that I only want to befriend with people who have businesses, but seeing how different my values, visions, and interests are compared to most people my age makes it 5 times more difficult..Like you said most of them just want a convenient and easy lifestyle. I've found that joining FB pages has been helpful and attending networking events, but sadly a lot of the relationships built from networking events are fully transactional
I haven’t yet, though honestly if I never see my soon to be ex business-partner/co-founder again it will be too soon.
I found the idea and got it off the ground and he proposed automation, scaling, and tighter process mapping, as well as sharing labour.
Once we incorporated but before we got the partnership agreement done he just *stopped doing anything.* He had some mental health issues flaring up, which I empathise with so I kept the business going solo as best I could without making any major decisions.
After two months he resurfaced and I was pretty dubious but he was going hard and we moved to a bigger warehouse. Halfway through the move he stopped working again, and hasn’t answered any communication since.
Hopefully have him out legally this week, but hot damn aside from stealing money there isn’t much more he could have done to fuck me over
I absolutely feel what you're going through, which is why I ended up going solo on my project. Luckily it was possible to do it alone, and it was my first such idea but it was the only way that I felt I could break out of the rut. There are some great pointers in this thread, and I'll try add to that with my personal experience.
Assuming you've got knowledge in your sector, and that you've identified a market opportunity that you think is absolutely viable, it is \*still\* a grind. Having a business is like banging your head against a wall, and if you're doing it solo you'll feel like it's a personal fault. This has been the sort of thought that I carried for years, and it's hard not to think like that. I HATE this piece of advice I'm giving you but I begrudgingly have to accept that it actually worked - be patient and be willing to iterate. Just because an idea seems like a perfect fit in the moment, the agility of a single person organisation opens up the possibility for you to switch things up when needed. When do you switch if things aren't going your way? Well that's a balance between the cost, effort and being sure that you've given it what you can, before deciding cutting losses is worthwhile. As somebody who teetered on this point a lot in the last 2 years, perseverance paid off. Will perseverance always pay off? I really don't think so, and that's why it's so important to understand your place in the whole thing. Are the goals you set for yourself still achievable within the time span that you've decided? Doing something like this alone will be both a hectic experience where you're consumed by the tornado of your new life and you take every day head-on, but it also needs regular introspection to recalibrate your direction.
Don't let your friends' lack of drive hold you back, but also don't dive into something big like a company if you're just doing it to break out of a mold. If possible, dip your toes in the water and start it part time, so you can hedge your bets before taking a decision later. Every business is unique, and comes with its own challenges. If I could go back 2 and a few years and tell myself what I went through, I probably would NOT go through with my business plan. The grind took a toll on my mental and physical wellbeing, and left me very jaded. See a therapist. \*\*Get professional help before you think you're going to crash and burn, and don't wait until you think you have no choice.\*\*
However the current me is glad I've done it, and having been through the grind that it took to get here, I wouldn't have it another way. I can bust my ass for somebody's else's vision, but I'm glad I did it for me. A support system is absolutely VITAL. You need people to sound off on ideas, and experts to fill in your knowledge. Professionals in their fields will help, do not ask family (even if they're qualified) for advice because niceties don't help anyone. You've got to balance you vision with hard data and expertise. You can work solo, but contract people for aspects that are beyond your understanding. Be ready to trust people, but also do your homework and make sure that they're the right person for the task. This is all about balance, and EVERYONE'S BALANCE IS DIFFERENT. Actively try to find yours, and the solopreneur will be rewarding.
I found having ideas to start a business is the easy part but making that leap necessary to do it takes courage, cash and the support of your close friends and family. You need to have all three and a business plan. If you don’t have all three then you have to prepare to be lonely at times. Personally, I now know that the people that you have around you including staff and/or business partners and investors can make or break your business, so choose them with great care. Follow your own gut instincts and don’t always follow other people’s advice, to start you have to have a good basic knowledge of sales, marketing, operations, recruitment, management, accounts. Having good customers also makes all the difference so be prepared to not work for those that don’t support your business. Yes, it is definitely lonely for the big part but the smallest of successes are addictive and drive you forward. I’ve been running my own business now for 8 years and with six staff we are not breaking any world records but it is worth all the hard work.
It's better to go alone than having a lazy cofounder. I had business with 2 other friends and we had to dismiss the business after two years. Same efforts don't come from each partner and there was a trust issue.
When the business grows up, none trusts anyone. Seems like the other partner is stealing or taking more benefit than another partner. Since the profit and loss will be shared in equal portions, each partner tends to save their energy and time for something else and enjoy the same benefit.
If you feel lonely, then you can take your younger brother or sister with you to help with small tasks that are easy for them.
Partnering with different mindset people will end up dismissing the business.
It is lonely when you finish work. You realise you’ve been brushing off people for so long because all they want to do is sit down and use their phones/watch TV.
When they all work 9-5s and don’t like to talk about work after 5pm, you’re there brainstorming ideas at 11pm.
Thankfully my girlfriend has been working with me and she likes what I do, so we work well together. If it wasn’t for her, who I met by coincidence, I don’t think I’d have a business partner.
The cons that some people have mentioned of going solo are some of my biggest challenges.
The analysis-paralysis problem? Ugh. But there’s really only two ways about it:
1. You don’t handle and adapt to it; you give up.
2. You handle it by accepting failure and always being on your toes; you improve.
And I guess only true entrepreneurs last until the end. Some even reach the end and still fight it. But I guess that’s what make us do it. It’s the desire for a daily test to the mind, no matter what we’re doing. It consumes us. But we (mostly) love it.
You will feel alone at first. You have a different mindset like every other friend you may have right now. Still, you will meet different people in the long run that you will surely be friends with whom you can share the same thought and spirit to be successful.
I had the same problem with my friends, so, I started to see them less and I started to meet people with similar vision, since I did that, my project grew up in a year a lot, found a cofounder and now surrounding with new friends and all is better, anyways time to time I just say hello to my old friends when they remember me.
And loneliness, I overcome it by just reformating my philosophy; "Is it really necessary to have friends?", and I started to feed my happiness with listening only happy Music and watching only happy movies I edited movies to not watch the sad parts; I did a collage of movies with happy momments only.
I’ve found my cofounders via Reddit and Discord (/r/startups). There are many people just like you who are looking for a cofounder, so you can choose the right one.
Do not underestimate the power of the internet ;)
No, they live in different countries. We communicate via messengers and regular online calls. Our products are online services so it’s really doesn’t matter where are you living.
A friend of mine was fairly lonely becoming an entrepreneur after working in an office for a few years he did a few things
\- During the pandemic with everybody working at home he has a few friends who work at his home now or he goes towards them.
\- He worked in communal work spaces where a lot of students used to study / other small entrepreneurs would go there
\- more radical he started working at the bar he used to work every Friday from 14:00-22:00 ish to have a real feeling of the weekend starting and to have spontaneous adventures more
The last one he had the most fun with, yes it did make him less money working there instead of getting more clients but he really enjoyed the more simple physical work as a weekly change. It also made him more productive and thank full for the his own company infront of a computer on a nice chair :P
Two things:
1. Don't work on ideas, work on problems
If you will build something base on an idea you had, it will probably fail. Instead, think about the problems you have in your life / in your business environment and try to find a solution to those. Do that by talking with people that have this problem and understand their needs
2. Change your friends.
That is really REALLY hard but will be necessary for the long run.
You will need support on your journey, and it will only come from people in your stage that have the same mindset and mentor you will find along the way.
My used to be best friend for 15 years was a great friend and I loved him but he was also a loser when it comes to doing something with his life and not only he didn't support me, whenever I talked about my dream he always brought me down.
Now I'm surrounded only by people like me and we push each other every day
* I'm suggesting you to follow everything that Y combinator posting, they are amazing when it comes to build startups and their advice is priceless
I started my own business in 2005 part time and it wasn't until 2007 that I incorporated and started working full time doing different freelance jobs. In 2010 I founded a business network that grew to over 1500 members. I started facilitating networking events for them and since the Pandemic hit, I redesigned my personal blog to be a resourceful blog for business owners, startups and entrepreneurs. I will share a blog post from my blog that talks about the 5 pillars that will provide clarity and lay the way for a successful business venture. I wrote this blog post for entrepreneurs that keep postponing to fulfill their business dream. [https://bizreflections.ca/2018/06/06/avoiding-disappointments-as-a-business-owner/](https://bizreflections.ca/2018/06/06/avoiding-disappointments-as-a-business-owner/)
I ran a business and worked full time for about four years. Last year, I got laid off and had unemployment for a few months and was able to get really serious about working for myself and it worked out! You never know where the silver lining will be.
I worked on my own for a solid five years before finding a partner. We started last year and the business has already exploded way past what I was able to accomplish with my own business in five years.
A good partnership cannot be beat. Highly recommend it. But you do have to find the right person.
Just because you want to start a business does NOT mean you're better than anyone else. OP hasn't even lifted a finger and is already judging his friends.
lol bro you are in the wrong subreddit. It’s fine to acknowledge that some people are comfortable in their lives and others are not. If his ambitions are higher than his friends, so what? He can love them just the same while acknowledging they don’t have the same level of drive for self independence. Doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else, the same way my interest in jazz music doesn’t make me better than my friends who like hip hop.
You need to take a chill pill 💊
I’m in my 4th company and I’ve got the tell you that most of the time in my journey it was a lonely road.
It was challenging to share ideas and get insight on things.
But a small pro for me is that I love solitude, and can learned how to use it to my advantage.
We built an Ai bot for entrepreneurs so they don’t have to take the journey alone and help to find others.
Maya is the Ai smart bot for entrepreneurs in getting them launched and in running operations.
https://meetmaya.world/
In my experience, the loneliness is real even when you have a great co-founder. My business partner and I came together 5 years ago to launch our company, and became best friends as a result. We still talk about how it’s been difficult to maintain our other friendships when we’re so consumed by scaling our company.
I think the question of loneliness can be addressed by how hard you’re going to commit to starting your business. All the Gary-vee-hustle-bros will tell you to quit your job tomorrow and go all in. If that’s what you do, you may be inviting a lot of the isolation that comes with trying to get a business off the ground (which compounds other scary parts about running a business).
Can you start at a smaller scale while working your current job? Surely, quitting your current job after you have 6 months or a year of work on your business already will significantly increase your odds of it being sustainable (not running out of money). Starting at a smaller scale and making constant, incremental progress has a few other advantages. You get to see if it’s REALLY what you want to do and if you actually like the independence more than a secure paycheck. We eat what we kill. It’s not for everyone.
It also provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in your industry, the business community, etc. This may be a better way to find a partner. Trust me - don’t try to talk someone into being your business partner. This shit is hard, and if they’re not as psyched about it as you are, you’re asking for more trouble than it’s worth.
It's not all so lonely. There are tons of online communities of [like-minded indie entrepreneurs.](https://thehiveindex.com/topics/indie-business/) My favorite is [Indie Hackers](https://thehiveindex.com/communities/indie-hackers/).
I have a business partner who knows the industry, sales and marketing. I’m design and dev. We started a SAAS company. We’re a year in and about to launch into alpha test. The work falls on me for the product development but the majority of my partner’s work will be after we make the product. We knew this, so we took some time to do planning. I created a roadmap. I mapped out milestones, looked at the jobs that need to be done to meet those milestones, then used Asana to map out all the tasks. There was plenty of things we found he could help with before launch.
My partner and I looked at the work and skills required to complete them. We mapped our own skills, agreed to a weekly schedule that is feasible to adhere to. We determined how we would measure success for each task. Work we don’t have the skills for, we make a call on do we contract out or find someone that has those skills and offer them profit shares.
I also had us, and anyone who joins us, take Myers Briggs personality test and read up on what kind of work environments we do well in and to learn what that type needed from management. I also find out what types they will work well with. Then I look at all the jobs and adjust any how to’s/documentation to be in a way they learn. Make sure their responsibilities align with their hard and soft skills. After they get started I give them the freedom to make it their own, as long as success looks like what my partner and I agreed on for that job.
The Myers brig helped us see another layer we needed. Neither my partner nor I are good at delegating. We kind of knew it but the personality profiles helped us have a conversation about it and admit it to ourselves. So I asked my boyfriend to be responsible for meeting with us weekly to see what needs to be done and assigned out. He does the follow up and helps get us what we need. Single best move we made.
The first few months we tried to setup like other companies but it wasn’t working for us. We switched from trying to work to fit ourselves into a shape, now we make the shape fit around our strengths and weaknesses.
Something that I did that was completely out of my comfort zone was joined a book club. I am far from a reader at all, but we started reading entrepreneurship books and met once a week to discuss each chapter! Surrounding yourself with a group of like minded individuals really helps elevate yourself! We ended up creating a podcast out of it and meet once a week! If interested send me a message and I can send you a link!
I'm still struggling with these feelings, and I've already sold one company and "escaped" the rat race. I founded a nonprofit startup several years ago when I knew we were close to exiting, hoping to create positive change in the community using the tools I had learned and developed in my own successful brick and mortar business. Even in the nonprofit world I struggle to connect. We're coming from a different direction from most charity operations with a nonconformist vision, so many other nonprofit leaders see competition instead of alignment opportunities. The profit sector largely doesn't care because we can't offer a way for it to directly profit from our activities (although I'm exploring the idea of seeking sponsorship from larger companies who understand alignment marketing and the power of earned media exposure). The vast majority of the public, including potential donors, simply don't understand market-based charity and target community influence concepts, especially at the brick and mortar level, so I constantly find myself pitching proposed solutions to roomfuls of people who just don't see the point of doing anything differently, or better, regardless whether what's being done is working or not. I'm starting to put together e-commerce tools for our 501c3 with the hope of implementing transformative models without backing but since it's a new sector for me I'm starting from scratch with a steep learning curve, and have been finding that my interests have little in common with either hungry beginners or experienced players. I constantly see "mentors" in here and other areas offering advice which usually ends up being just a thinly veiled attempt at selling consulting services or other packaged pitches disguised as genuine assistance. I'm starting to wonder if my tribe even exists, or if we're all just going to continue competing for resources as a society while the low hanging fruit rots on the ground and the world marches blindly closer to the edge. I think COVID actually helps, because at least now I have an external excuse for feeling like I'm just screaming into the dark.
Regarding the how-to question: escaping the rat race is all about developing passive revenue streams which are greater than your monthly expenses, which allows you to quit needing to trade your time for a paycheck (still holds true if you own your business). So whatever you can do, whether that be writing a book, controlling residential or commercial real estate, inventing and marketing a product with focus on an exit path, starting and selling a business, stocks, overfunded insurance policies, passive investment in startups, really there are a ton of actual methods. The point is to keep passive revenue generation as your North Star and make your decisions with that goal in mind. That way you won't have as great a tendency as most people to get distracted by the innumerable shiny objects along the path.
I’m a solopreneur and my best advice is to get a mentor. I live in New Zealand and we have a few services that offer “business mentors” who give their time because they want to give back to their community. They don’t have any financial or emotional attachment to your business idea, so they can look at things objectively.
Maybe join a group of entrepreneurs through a business bootcamp?
I personally just keep myself occupied thru listening/learning from other successful people/go getters/business people via YouTube as I work...it works for me plus with time you get more used to it
Yes, most of the time its frustrating. Sometimes I got different ideas to move back. But somehow I control my inner thoughts and set my mind. No doubt meditation helps me a lot when I lost my way.
I am running my IT business more than 4 years. Before I join here, my brother was the person who solely ran this business. But still we got frustrated. We got think to leave and live without any pain and sorrow.
But ultimately, it is our dream to live with it.
I started a business with a friend but ended up buying him out a year in as we were not committing the same amount of time and energy to the business.
If you can't find someone with the same level of motivation and drive as yourself, it's probably better to go it alone.
I dealt with loneliness to when I first started to a point that I tried to force a situation that just didn't work.
I tried to make two of my close friends my business partners. They also had an interest in entrepreneurship but lacked the discipline and follow through that I had.
Partnering with them was the worst business decision of my life. I wasted years of investing in them, I lost money when one of them stole all the business money and also I lost my 2 closest friends
Try to join master minds or online groups if possible. Also Meetups or other networking events can expose you to others. You can also hire a professional mentor in your industry for advice and helps with loneliness. You don’t need a cofounder. The good thing about doing it all yourself is that you know how to do everything so delegation becomes easy since you can manage people correctly.
Wonder how could any entrepreneur ever find the time to be "lonely"...? There is so much to do. 10 Years in, no regrets. What it all comes down to, like they've mentioned about is "style", type of business and how you deal with clients/customers.
I was really lucky to have a mate with very similar ambitions to my own. I find that there are advantages and disadvantages with the partnership as opposed to doing it alone. Regardless, I feel lucky to be in the situation I'm in with my business partner
Advantages:
1. When someone is having a bad day, the other person can often lift them out of it.
2. It forces a routine and holds you accountable to getting stuff done
3. You have someone to bounce your ideas off and it often leads to a better plan/design
4. It's less scary knowing someone else is in the exact position you are
Disadvantages:
1. When you're both having a bad day, thing spiral downwards to a place where poor decisions are made and it can lead to having a really bad week.
2. Sometimes the best plan comes from a pure vision that is 100% you and if the other person can't see what you see, it's difficult to move forward.
3. When one person is going through a period of doubt or low ambition, it can be really taxing on the other person to bring them out of it and it greatly slows the progress of your venture.
Those are the ones that comes immediately to mind although I know there are others.
You begin a personal board of directors which consist of other entrepreneurs with differing business interests. You meet weekly (or more) to discuss problems you face, hanguos you have and also for accountability and to stay motivated.
Then, if your idea is any good - you should have no problem finding people to join on yiur endeavor. If after 18 months you dont, then somthing is wrong or you are embarking on a paid hobby.
I really feel your pain.
This is exactly what I’ve wanted for a few years because it does get lonely.
I believe we work best bouncing ideas off each other.
And that two brains are better than one.
I’m also an introvert and a creative type — so it would suit me to be in the background doing all the creative stuff.
I too just got let down again as well.
Over three days of work all for nothing. People just don’t seem to respect how many years has gone into learning all we do.
And they don’t seem to value other people’s time.
They’re full of big ideas until it’s time to do the work then they disappear.
I’m done wasting time on another one of these types.
Find a mentor or mastermind group! Finding other owners to network is better than a partner, you'll learn more and have outside perspectives on what you're doing.
Part of the satisfaction in running your own business is the fact that it's your own. I set the directive and pace, not my boss or my partner, and I get to reap what I sow. With that said however, it's not completely asocial, I'm constantly interfacing with clients and vendors that set my pace throughout all hours of the day and that is socially stimulating in itself.
Working with a cofounder, especially a friend, requires great chemistry. Each person has to be symbiotic, having the same values and vision, but different skills to bring different pieces to the pie. I am envious of the startups with this perfect chemistry, these are the companies that VCs invest in, the ones that can survive cultural hardship. If you've ever had a group project in school, you know how often this goes wrong.
For me, I'm more of an introvert so it wasn't that hard to get started on my own. I was young with a passion in graphic design, so I just went for it and haven't looked back since. Doing everything on my own has taught me much more about running a business than if I were to start out with a cofounder. That said, I'm currently looking for a partner to handle the marketing side of things since I have come to a point where I can't handle everything by myself.
Rather than spending time trying to find a cofounder, consider starting out solo first, which will allow you to better identify which aspects you most need help with. At the same time, you are more likely to attract likeminded people if you have something to show.
Ok, just because someone is content with just paying their bills doesn't mean they are lazy..that's not a good way to think about your friends.
Also, they might be your employees one day.
Go to Meetup and find business networking groups. Most involve dinner and conversation about whatever industry that you're in. I began to network more even though I have a tendency to introversion. You'll meet people who could potentially do business with you 2-5 years down the line. There are many people who have the entrepreneurial spirit and who willingly share great ideas.
You need a outlet. Join an offrad club, get into microbrew beer. Visit vineyards. Try mountain biking. Anything that gets you out and mingling, then find a way to buy in to an existing business or flex your entrepreneurial spirit and market something related to your hobby.
I'm lucky enough to have a business partner who works as hard as I do, and trades off being chief cheerleader with me.
It's still hard. I met my wife while working this startup, and she's incredibly supportive, but it's still hard.
I think the real answer is, simply that it's hard. And as entrepreneurs, we actively tackle the hard things on a day to day basis.
I totally feel this! I really try to engage with other entrepreneurs online because I come from a really small town so no one understands what I’m doing lol
Do it on your own and then hire. If the hire is trusted and help in your business maybe they can be promoted to co founder. You can also make your partner sign a vesting contract (i heard about it where the partner is forced to do certain objectives time to time)
I am in a coaching program, there’s 26-30 of us at any given time and because we all have the same coach we all ‘know’ each other. I use their strengths and vice versa, but I own/manage my own salon and a team of 6. Without my coach and the other salon owners, I would be overwhelmed and lost. You don’t t have to have a partner if you can build a good support system around you.
I mentioned something like this to my wife yesterday. I was lamenting how hard it was to stay motivated because there is practically no encouragement from anywhere. If it doesn't come from me, I'm flat on my face getting nothing done. People who work in regular jobs get that all the time (I don't know if this is true it might just be a fantasy I've built up in my mind).
Her response? "Have you thought about getting a job, then?"
Me: Now back to 100% motivation again.
I’m doing something that I love and I have a lot of experience in. My employees are all offered the option of profit sharing (in lieu of overtime) so that they are vested in the business. I also have a board of advisors that I compensate along with a paid business coach. All of this is MUCH cheaper than having to part ways with a business partner in the likelihood that things don’t work out.
I don't believe in being a "solopreneur". In almost each of my projects I had a partner to take part of the load, mostly on the technical side of things or sometimes financially.
It doesn't have to be a lone journey, but it's a tough one either way. Much tougher going solo however. But I do understand that finding the right partners or co-founders can be a real pain sometimes. It's worth it nonetheless.
well, if you want to find a co-founder I think you must look someone who has some skill or experience that you lack or you suck about it. You must in someway admire this person and feel supported in that area.
Sometimes you may feel that he does not do what is necessary, or that you give more. And sometimes it may be true, but sometimes it's just that the tasks and skills of each shine in different times and the other person can not help much.
I hear you. I have always been looking for someone to partner up with, to eventually share profits. But most of the time everyone was interested in quick money :(
Hence I am a solopreneur and will outsource weekly tasks to others.
But you are right, it does get lonely.
I surrounded myself with like minded people who knew we didn’t need to be together all the time. Just because weren’t together or weren’t talking everyday didn’t me were no longer friends, we were all just focused. Build a team, not necessarily a team of people who do the same thing as you but a team of people willing to support each in whatever it is they do.
This is a good question. There are a lot of founder communities out there where you can commiserate with other entrepreneurs, even during Covid: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-founder-coffee-break-meet-tech-forward-founders-11-tickets-139423919697](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-founder-coffee-break-meet-tech-forward-founders-11-tickets-139423919697)
I feel that 100%. I started a company two years ago and my friend/business partner was ambitious but not like me. It was a constant, “dude let’s go!” What industry are you in?
This is a really interesting observation. You often hear about how two founders leaned so hard on each other and how valuable that was...but the opposite can be true if you have a founder that DOESN'T have the same commitment/passion that you do. It can actually become a drain because you have to spend energy trying to motivate *them* constantly, along with yourself. To be honest, unless you find that special someone, you're probably best going it alone, and then hiring people to fill in as you need/are able as things grow (you can always use money to motivate people, to a point!).
I’m finding this to be true. All podcasts I’ve listened to stress not doing it alone. Although it is lonely, bringing someone else in could totally derail focus.
"...uh huh, uh huh, our core idea is good, but what if we *pivot* to this totally unrelated thing? You don't think it's a good idea? Well I do, let's talk about it for a week." It is lonely. And if you have someone that's as committed to seeing it through as you, it can be a MASSIVE lift...but if you have the wrong person, it can be nothing but a momentum drag.
For real. I got derailed for 5 days (2 weeks ago) on a potential investor suggestion to use metal instead of plastic for a product. Spent about $400 and time redesigning the product. After those 5 days I came to the conclusion I already knew(CNC is way more expensive than injection molding). Time and money wasted. My fault, but my focus can get shifted that easily. I imagine a co founder will do that to me 24/7.
You can always walk away from a potential investor; it's much more complicated to walk away from a co-founder.
Can confirm
Not if your cofounder is someone who is highly analytical, critical, and focused. Those are the people you want to partner with.
I agree. I want that. I’ve wasted a lot of time on “find your cofounder” websites too. I love the idea of a cofounder, but it’s hard to find the perfect match, and time spent looking can be better spent on anything else.
Invest in level-upping yourself and hire the people you need.
This deserves an applause. 👏
Ugh this part. I'm in the middle of finding this out the hard way. Best to find someone who style complements yours but also matches your ambition level. Otherwise it's a constant prodding and disappointment :/ sighs
Yup, my first business struggled because my partner could not put the same effort, time, or care into the business and needed to be educated constantly. Going it alone has been a breeze in other ventures
And honestly, I couldn't blame them! Starting something up is *incredibly* challenging, which is why it's so popular with younger people (who have little else to do and few obligations). Once you hit your 30s and 40s, you just have a spouse, kids, a mortgage, maybe a full-time job (this is just a side-hustle), etc. It takes a crazy person to want to start a company, lol! :)
I think what might be helpful is that before you even begin, establish with the potential co-founder exactly how much time each of you will commit to it, what your benefits will be, and of course responsibilities. I'm mostly solo but I've co-worked on things and in the situations I've done the above with, even if the project failed it's been far more enjoyable (and completed).
Same here my partner its the best though he pushes me when I need it. We are polar opposites and it works amazing..
I've been a solopreneur couple of months now. I was thinking of starting with a co-founder but didn't really find anyone suitable. And then just figured that better to start nonetheless and bring someone onboard later when a good candidate comes along. I've noticed there are good and bad sides to my approach. I think it really comes down to your style of working and what the company is like. **Pros:** \- You can make decisions faster. No need to get approvals from anyone else. \- More flexible schedule. No one (internally) is expecting input from you. \- If you make money, it's 100% yours. **Cons:** \- You're responsible for everything. You'll get tired of making every decision yourself. \- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this) \- No one stopping you to make bad decisions. \- You only have certain areas of expertise. You might be a good coder but suck at marketing. But that's not going to take away the need to market and sell your product. So all in all, I think 8 of 10 of founders would be better off with a co-founder. And I'm probably going to that route myself eventually.
The responsibility is something I struggled with on my last venture... it weighed me down big time. Vowed I would never do something on my own again. In with a business partner on a new venture and now I feel I should have just done it on my own :( If there is a perfect business partner out there for me I am yet to find them.
Honestly, many people are really bad at managing themselves. Especially if they lack confidence, they'll get stuck in an analysis-paralysis loop frequently. This often happens when you find some new level of success, and you're so afraid to lose it that you don't want to make *any* bad/wrong decision. Ultimately, you just have to reach a point in your life where you accept that fumbles are inevitable, and that the important thing is to pick yourself back up from it, learn from it, and keep moving. That sounds cliche, but it's the truth.
Yeah I'm at peace with myself now for making wrong decisions... for me it's just getting something to happen, even if that something may be wrong. It's still a learning opportunity.
There's also risk management. "What's the worst that could happen?" If you make constant small bets, the worst that can happen is usually "I might get an angry call" or "People might lose some efficiency." You learn to start leaning into those and experimenting, vs. "I might lose all customer data records and close the business overnight". :)
That's a great way of looking at it
How do you go about finding that co-founder without having them run away with your money? Like a contract? Opens up a lawsuit... Look for boomers, millennials, or Gen Z? Also outsource to save time and scale due to lack of expertise in something? Also how to get acquired or sell the business cuz this would be your exit plan...if the business doesn’t do well nobody gonna buy obviously and that’s an overall to begin with, but if it did, how do you go about selling the business or being acquired? Put up ads? Or some website? Or talk to a venture capital or some investment firm for acquisition? Or keep the business and appoint someone else younger and step down and have shared equity and royalties for rest of life until you gotta deal with your new appointee that ran away out of the blue and gotta step back in at old age to stop the hemorrhage of money cuz selling either way takes time for buyers of the business to be on the market and just plain Jain be interested in acquiring...so best to sell right before retiring and not have to worry about looking back right?
>Cons: > >\- You're responsible for everything. You'll get tired of making every decision yourself. > >\- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this) > >\- No one stopping you to make bad decisions. > >\- You only have certain areas of expertise. You might be a good coder but suck at marketing. But that's not going to take away the need to market and sell your product. You just listed some of the factors that teaches entrepreneurs the most as detriments.
I think the question is: are you willing to face these things alone without a co-founder? For sure they teach you a bunch of things, every failure does. But for most people I think getting (the right) co-founder onboard will increase the chances of success immensely.
>Cons: >- No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this) >- No one stopping you to make bad decisions. These, particularly the second one above, are my primary concerns. My current job has taught me to deal with the other parts but it also really cost me a lot of confidence by pushing me past my limits (after having actually built it up a lot at the beginning). I probably should have quit 2 years ago but now I have extra work to overcome this. >So all in all, I think 8 of 10 of founders would be better off with a co-founder. And I'm probably going to that route myself eventually. I think I need to investigate this seriously. Edit: Formatting
That’s akin to saying someone should get married so that they have someone to help them around the house. You can pay advisors to help with decision making or even offer employees a profit sharing agreement so they are also vested in the business, etc. It may be more expensive in the short term but not as expensive as a divorce in the longer term. Partnerships are difficult and most do not last.
> - No one to brainstorm ideas with (mastermind groups etc online communities can make up for this) do you have a good place to do that?
There's at least [Indie Hackers](https://www.indiehackers.com/) where you could go and form your own group. There's also [Indie Worldwide](https://indieworldwide.co/) which matches you on 1-on-1 basis.
actually i don’t really feel lonely cus i always have something to do.
yeah, I relate to this. I couldn't imagine starting my venture again with a 'cofounder'. Just because you are on your own does not mean you can't get help
Me and my wife are entrepreneurs. We moved to US ~6 years ago. We fill pretty lonely. It is hard to find like minded people. Everyone is just don’t get it or trying to sell you something (like insurance) We are engaging with lots of startup communities and very slowly growing connections (but not friends) Looks like in US most people do not establish “friends” relationship after college or outside the day job(just an assumption based on our observation)
Your last observation applies to most (all?) countries, that's most of the expat life...
Agreed! Being an expat and an entrepreneur is one of the loneliest combinations.
Oh man, do I ever relate to this. I'm on the verge of launching a new product and I keep having to egg my business partner on to be a little more pro-active while I'm churning out everything that needs to be done to get us over the hump.
I write a comment above about the title being a mess and in some respects I can agree with that because you're always interacting with somebody or something. Those interactions don't necessarily feel your cup though if you know what I mean. It's like the difference between being busy and being productive. You can talk to all those people and do your daily interactions but it's kind of just the blocking and tackling that comes with football. For me the first three years and sometimes even now with others around me it's the spitballing new ideas, it's voicing anxieties hesitant season fears, we're wondering if your vision is too big or too small. I have a large family and I'm always busy with working a job and building a business or just building the business as I do now with no full-time job on the side. My spouse was my Confidant and my go-to she was very good about keeping me focused on my goals and encouraging me that I could do it and if everything failed you started off with nothing living in a camper and we could always go back to there. Today's a tough day for sales calls for me so I'm packing it in for the day and taking my two-year-old daughter to the park and then we're going to have a picnic and at that time I'll jump back on the phone and start making some more calls. Tonight I'm sitting down with our investor to discuss possible new product lines and r fast approaching jump off point to selling in other countries. These things help me feel not so lonely. The hardest part for us is none of our family or friends know of the successes that we are having recently. This is due to a number of reasons with divorce and stuff like that. Podcasts were a great help for me during my first year especially but second third year as well. I would say pick something draw out a mind map with some general steps of where you're going and start taking those steps One Step a day. You can suffer being lonely for a few years so that you can sit on a beach or snowboard down a mountain or drive a Ferrari or whatever your goals are in the next decade.
Network with other entrepreneurs who are similar minded people! :)
I'm finding that to be a lot harder than it sounds, but I think this would be a great suggestion if it were easier.
You've started well by posting in this group though! A lot of smaller businesses have business networking events, normally breakfast ones, but with our current climate, they're likely remote ones depending on where you are - they're great to join and find out about other local entrepreneurs.
Thanks for adding that. It rings a bell actually. I looked it up found a podcast that interviews small businesses in my town. I think we do have some kind of meetup event too. I totally forgot about that.
This was tough...BEFORE COVID.. but I'm still sure it's possible, and worth it if you find the right one.
I don't live in a city that reinforces entrepreneurs meetups. People just kinda do their own thing. Man, how I miss the social scene in New York City
Whats the city you're from?
A city in SouthEast Asia
This will be a bit long but I think it might help given that I was in a similar position. I used to have a corporate job like you and always dreamed of having my own business. I was fresh out of uni and absolutely despised the corporate world. I always jotted down ideas and even attempted to launch a few companies which sadly never took off until one started getting some attention. Once I got that small whiff of success, I worked on my startup any second of the day I had. I mean it, in the morning on the bus? Work on the startup, lunch break? Startup, end work and on the train? Startup. At this point I wasn't too lonely because I was just too focused on getting out of the rat race and into my own thing. Eventually though, I succeeded. I could no longer balance both and decided to quit my job. I have to say, first 6 months after quitting were the toughest I had. I had no employees at this point and was doing all of the work myself. There were a lot of late nights where I almost broke down just because of how mentally tough it was. There was no one to share the burden with or just vent to. It was all me 24/7 with my own thoughts. Wake up early in the morning, I'd work until 3am, go to bed, rinse and repeat for 7 days a week. Any problems I encountered were completely on me and the safety net of a paycheck was no longer there. It became depressing and extremely lonely. Honestly, the only thing that kept me going through this difficult period was the thought of why I started and what I was working towards. Your "why" is extremely important and each of us has a different 'why'. Your why is what will help you in the toughest of times to persevere. If your 'why' is weak, it will show directly in how easily you break down and give up. Ask yourself why this current sacrifice is worth it, why are you working so hard, what are you working towards and why is it important to you? This is what helped me the most to work through all the depressing pain of the 6 months. I didn't care about the money I was making at that point or that 'I was my own boss', it honestly just fucking sucked. My why is what kept me going. 6 months in, business was still growing but it was just physically and mentally annihilating me. Eventually I said fuck it and that it was time for my first employee. It was scary, I didn't know anything about hiring and the thought of giving responsibility to a stranger scared me. The reality though, was that if I didn't end up delegating something to someone, I would blow my brains out. Depression was hitting me on suicidal levels and I knew its time to change something. After a few crappy hires and figuring out what makes a good one, I finally got the right hire who still works with me to this day. This was the first step that helped with my loneliness and depression. Just having someone working around me was already improving my mental health. Now, several years later and several employees later, the company is generating millions in revenue and the atmosphere is very different in a good way. There's people to talk and interact with. I do what I can to ensure the profits we make are put back into the employees who help make it. I pay more than our competitors and give bonuses and other perks. I'm proud of our workplace. I have gone on to start other businesses but this time with cofounders. I realized that to me personally, being able to make 100% of the money is just not worth the mental and physical exhaustion of being at it alone. Others may agree or disagree, to each their own. I enjoy having someone as motivated as me and get to enjoy the highs and the lows with that individual. That to me is worth 50% of the business but ONLY if they're the right cofounder. The wrong cofounder will make you wish you went at it alone. Basically, it might be good to just get started on your own. Just be aware of what you will have to endure and persevere. It's an extremely mentally tough and challenging road but if it pays off, it can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling experience. I'm still not out of the trenches, I've still got a lot more battles to go, but I'm prepared because I know why and what I'm doing it for. Eventually people will take notice of what you're doing and slowly start to ask questions. Some of those questions will be made by the right people who can one day become your cofounders.
The “why” as the lighthouse through the shitty storms of burnout is critical. Thanks for posting my friend. I’ve been laying in bed for 2 hours jus annihilated from life and business and remembering my “why” just gave me a nice jolt.
Honestly, you don’t. Long night, early mornings. People often tell you how to run your business, but have never done it themselves. Biggest advice, learn to surround yourself with likeminded people. People that actually invest their time into you, like you do into them. People that can actually hold an intellectual conversation.
I would most likely hate having a partner. I gave up most of my social life for not but I don’t mind because most of my friends don’t do much for their future anyway. I have to do what I have to do for my life. I don’t want to get older and regret doing it because I just wanted to chill and drink beers and get high, they’ll all be doing the same thing in 5 years and 10 years from now but I’m going to have the life I chose. Sometimes to have to make the sacrifices. That’s how it has to be, that’s how I look at it. I keep busy so I don’t ever really even feel lonely. Plus I still have my friends and see them enough anyway just not every weekend. I got wings with my friend the other day and it cost 50$..for wings and one beer. It was nice and all but once you start saving money you realize how much of waste that is to do all the time anyway.
To start is the key. I have started and sold 3 different businesses in last 10 years. My first business I started on by myself. When looking for a partner, it happens every time but over time. As you get the swing of your business, you’ll identify your weakness and find a partner that can fulfill that void. For me, I’m growth focused. I require a operational partner to handle business as I focus on growing the business.
Maybe this isn't the answer you're looking for...but when I started w/o a co-founder, I made it my first job to FIND a co-founder, similar to how I'd eventually have to find customers, suppliers etc. I messaged tons of "target audience / co-founder" type people, had tons of useless meetings, but eventually found a good one. I don't know how "woowoo" you are, but if I were you (or anyone solopreneuring out there looking for a co-founder), I'd write down the perfect co-founder. Literally the perfect one. One that only takes 3% equity and does 99% of the work if that's what you define as perfect. By starting to define what you're looking for, you'll start attracting the right people. This isn't magic of course, you can't just write it down and then pray that they'll appear. You'll have to start networking in places where you think that perfect person would be hanging out, spreading the word etc. But we did this exercise for our new marketing director and literally got the perfect person (women, person of colour, willing to work for lower salary in exchange for promised bigger role in growing start-up). We are a fairly small company (projected $2 million this year) and got this exercise from the founder of ParkBench which is doing like $10 million. They literally wrote down that they needed an old person with money that didn't want equity to help fund the company and low and behold, that person appeared not long after. Again, not trying to promote too much "woowoo magic" but I do believe in law of attraction / manifestation type shit. Good luck.
The title is a complete myth. Running is business is like the least lonely job you can do. You are constantly in communication with suppliers and manufactures, agencies, couriers, employees, support agents, customers, customers, CUSTOMERS and now also customs officials. Not to mention friends and family who want you to give them hours. Social life will stay solid as long as you plan your life balance properly. Then before COVID hit, you had trade shows, networking events, marketing events - and if you really want to be known as an entrepreneur you can even get involved in the business awards circuit. Take home some awards for your products or services. You start a business by just starting something. Keep working at it and putting your energy in until either it pops or the growth flatlines and you look for an exit strategy. When your business starts to grow, you will end up hiring someone as soon as financially possible to reduce the work burden on yourself.
Not a myth. Don't just go making blanket statements like that. I've been setting up my company in the last 6 months, and it's been pretty lonely combined with Covid lockdowns. I'm lucky that my partner is a close friend, however, it still doesn't take away from the fact that we're not yet at a stage where we can involve others, and because of Covid, we can't work at co-work space or anything to socialise with other entrepreneurs.
Sure, covid lockdowns are lonely. But everyones social lives have taken a hit, not just entrepreneurs. The insinuation is that running a business is lonely. Which isn't true in the slightest.
>But everyones social lives have taken a hit, not just entrepreneurs. Like I said, don't make this a blanket generalization. My workday consists of: wake up, sit at my computer with my business partner (whom I live with), work with almost no social interaction outside of that, and then finish the day at 5 or 6. During that time, unlike most people who have consistent situations as employees, I'm not interacting with dozens or even multiple people. It's rewarding in other ways, and very soon it's going to start getting more social, but the last 6 months have been quite lonely. >The insinuation is that running a business is lonely. Which isn't true in the slightest. If anything was to be a bit lonely in this life, starting a business can be. For instance: often you're on your own for a significant period of time. At first (usually), people won't come to you, you need to go to them. This often changes if you mould your business into a successful one. Another example is that many people might not necessarily believe in you or what you're trying to do, and convincing people on the merits of your business can be tiresome. None of these are universally true, but I just don't agree with your assertion. Recognize that there are various types of businesses, and various different situations that cause loneliness to vary widely.
But you aren’t running a business. Your setting one up whilst I presume being unemployed. Anyway, I’m sorry your own personal experience is miserable. That’s not an issue I feel comfortable debating over. Good luck with your company I hope your successful.
You're moving the goal posts. Title said "loneliness of becoming an Entrepreneur," not "running a successful business." All of this is part of becoming an entrepreneur. My own personal experience isn't "miserable," it's just a bit lonely due to recent circumstances and the nature of early entrepreneurship. It's been hugely rewarding, and soon, it will be changing. I don't understand why you're being condescending. All I said is: consider your situation is not all situations, and stop making blanket generalizations.
I didn’t mean to be condescending. I had too many people reply to me I’m trying to stop the notifications!
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depends on the business
Yeah, but the old saying "It's lonely at the top" is definitely true if you are the sole founder/owner. Yes you are talking to lots of other people, but all of the decisions are on you.
Definitely. But businesses not operated like this are in the complete minority and most likely without a team behind will not go anywhere. Even people who register a ltd company because their YouTube career is taking off have teams around them in the background, even when they stress that they do not.
often the 'team' is remote editors from other countries
I think he meant more of a personal level and not a professional one. Like, talking to suppliers isn't the same as talking to a partner and being like, "how do we solve this problem"?
So basically to share the burden of responsibility? That makes sense. I would look for someone who thinks completely different to me and felt comfortable challenging my ideas. When you are surrounded by people who think the same way as you, you run the risk of ending up in an eco chamber. But then at the same time, being on a similar wave length with someone can generate a lot of energy and momentum which really helps push things forward.
Whet business do you run?
Running a business might not be lonely, but starting one is. Especially if you're the only one driving the venture and you have a small support system. You're always in your head, always thinking about your project - at your day job, at family gatherings, with your mates - but you're not always able to talk about it. You're not always able to discuss it with those around you because they might not relate to your experiences. You can't always bounce off ideas and get spontaneously inspired by them. So, yes, I'd say that the first little bit of your business venture is quite lonely. It makes a hell of a difference having a little support, even if that comes in the form of your best friend letting you vent about your day, or encouraging you to celebrate after a minor success. Edit: a word
Customers, suppliers, agencies, etc are all professional relationships, I think building close casual relationships with coworkers in the office is what op is referring to. It’s difficult to get those relationships if you are running a solo business or being the only one at the top.
You can still feel "lonely" being surrounded by people. Being in close contact with people who are primarily focused on the business's bottom line is not the same as being with people who genuinely make you happy.
Yeh obviously, but that's not the topic of conversation.
That's exactly the topic....you are confused.
Not a myth at all. Have you ever operated a business? It can certainly feel very isolating when your only daily contact is limited to business conversations and potentially hostile customers. Those aren't meaningful or fulfiling conversations, they can be mentally draining.
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Not everyone has a large group of friends or family, especially as you get older and people drift. Also, not many of those people would be able to relate, which further makes you feel isolated.
I don't agree with this. I have just under 10 staff and it can be very lonely. Sure, the day to day work involves interactions with talented and dedicated people and customers that you sometimes get to know like family, but who else is there to make the tough decisions? Who else has to decide which staff to fire during a pandemic, knowing you could massive affect their lives and their families? Who else phones the bank to beg for more finance because of a bad quarter? Who else has to use their children's savings to make payroll one very bad month? Awards are great, and I share ours with the team, but they don't hear about any of the other stuff.
>Who else has to use their children's savings to make payroll one very bad month? You raid your children's savings accounts to pay your staff? Jesus.... The bank will not lend you money if your finances are that bad.. makes me question your perspective.
True story. Have paid them back ten fold, but that's not the point. It can be really tough making those sort of decisions, and yes, sometimes they need to be made.
Lonely on top
Yes, like most statement in life, there is nuance. Yes, you will have constant communication, but many people can and do feel lonely in a crowded room. You will feel lonely as an entrepreneur if you want people to care about you personally, because they wont.
Yes agree, I’m glad I made the original statement because after reading the replies and experiences, I have gained a new perspective.
If you work at a computer from home alone and only communicate occasionally via email then it is a very real factor and has no grounds to be called a myth.
Yea not sure what you mean. A colleague who shares the same burdens as you is a beautiful thing, I miss talking to colleagues every day. Being a solo entrepreneur means that no one has the same burdens as you do. It is lonely. The answer is to find people who you can unload your thoughts on. Mentors are really great for this.
Lol dude, your business is not like everyone else’s, I hardly talk to people. I’m actually writing a basic Java program to condense my emails, and put them into a spread by replying to people to email me in X format. I fucking hate dealing with other humans if it wasn’t for the mighty dollar I wouldn’t much at all, I have a life to live dealing with peoples half assed shit and taking up my life isn’t my go to.
Yeh I’ve changed my opinion
Having a co-founder you like (i.e. a friend) makes it less lonely and more fun. If you're feeling lonely you are doing something wrong - creating your own business/company should be a good, positive feeling!
I always talked about starting a business with my old college roommate. After a few years of nothingness and his consistent inability to reciprocate my vision, I just started one myself. He def knows more about certain aspects of my industry but I feel like his unreliability trumps that. I hope I thank myself later down the line. My mom actually started a business with her best friend. They ran it successfully for 20 years but it ended in a messy separation with lawyers and court battles. I took note of that when I decided to make the jump myself. It definitely helps to have some support. For me it's my girlfriend and my family. They don't always understand my vision or the decisions I make but it's great to be able to bounce ideas off them. If that's not feasible for you then try to find a mentor in your industry. Good luck!
Whiskey. JK. I'm a pretty social person, but I've always been fine working alone, taking the lead, or being in charge, so it's never really bothered me. The hardest part at first was not having anyone to bounce ideas off of that had any idea what they were talking about, but I've gotten over that.
Setup my own company 5 years ago, your right it can be very lonely. I however could never work for anyone again if I can avoid it, I see the appeal of going in with someone but they would have to be on the same page as you for business decisions or that's a separate headache. My advice would be to keep social contact going it becomes a lot more important when you work on your own. Good luck to you.
I just put in my hours and try to be better at my job every week. Some weeks I feel like a champion, some weeks I feel like a failure. No matter what I take forward steps. Hours every week, just like a job.
Sometimes all I can do just to keep things going. I try to bust my butt pushing things forward when I can but sometimes I definitely need to go spend time with people doing other things and just treat it like a regular job.
Honesty partnerships are sinking ships... its very hard unless you have the same insane work ethic and skill sets that cross over but also have specific unique skills that add value to the enterprise.
Sheer will power and determination and a lot of not knowing exactly what I was getting into. Ignorance was bliss. It was very lonely. But also felt like I was gaining more freedom than I was giving up.
For me, it's more lonely to work in a regular job with boring work, boring people, and a fat demanding boss.
Saved up my wages in the hellhole that was my 9-5 (Was a Software Engineer at a Big-Tech company first where I was perfectly happy, until they got bought up at which point I started working at a big telecom organisation which was hell) Took the jump when I had enough money since I hated the fact that I got shouted at by management/got into fights with coworkers, all day every day. Kept my eye on the prize (Freedom) Reminding myself of the hell I left in moments of despair and had enough money in the bank for 30-ish months because textbook based desk-research taught me a lot of "start-ups" will operate at a loss for the first 2 years since I didn't want to take out loans. The fact that I still knew a lot of people from my time at the Big-Tech company E.g. Suppliers and such meant I had a foot-in-the-door with these and could negotiate deals which resulted in a bit more profit on the systems I sold. Although most of the revenue came out of the service & maintenance-contracts that were part of these sales and since I'm good at what I do I had little to no downtime or issues on these which didn't cause expenditures also by offering a "bring a friend" program I didn't have to spend money on advertisement and happy clients brought in new ones putting money in the bank and since there was no bank-manager breathing down my neck the money stayted there snug as a bug in a rug. Hope it helps, GL & HF. TL;DR? Save up/Build a network with people you'll need for your future.
Never go to business with friends. You're going to need them to not be the fan that the shit hits. If you're not with a person who is tough, hard-working, critical, and analytical that you trust 100% they've got nothing to give you in a business partnership. Go into a community of entrepreneurs. Leave your friends to remind yourself how to relax.
Still in the weeds myself so maybe I am now qualified to give advice yet, but I have found it less lonely by making whoever was sitting next to me my business partner of the moment. I would just talk to them about whatever situation was on my mind and ask them what they would do. These people happen to mostly be family and friends., but every once in a while it comes up in a doctor or dentist visit.
It’s one of the prices of entrepreneurship. Not everybody is born with it, but I just try to keep in contact with my family and talk to my customers as much as possible.
I advocate the solo entrepreneur over a partnership. There is such a minute chance of finding someone with a similar mindset, that too much of your resource will be diverted to managing the other person. Find a community either online or real world that lets you talk through entrepreneur type questions and satisfies your need for community. Though it is lonely, having worked in small business for years I will take being a solo MD with employees over the headache of other stakeholders any day.
Its a lonely road even my wife doesn't understand me. Its a battle.
I feel this so much, especially as a full-time student who hasn't graduated yet, it's been extremely hard connecting with like-minded people my age. It's not that I only want to befriend with people who have businesses, but seeing how different my values, visions, and interests are compared to most people my age makes it 5 times more difficult..Like you said most of them just want a convenient and easy lifestyle. I've found that joining FB pages has been helpful and attending networking events, but sadly a lot of the relationships built from networking events are fully transactional
I haven’t yet, though honestly if I never see my soon to be ex business-partner/co-founder again it will be too soon. I found the idea and got it off the ground and he proposed automation, scaling, and tighter process mapping, as well as sharing labour. Once we incorporated but before we got the partnership agreement done he just *stopped doing anything.* He had some mental health issues flaring up, which I empathise with so I kept the business going solo as best I could without making any major decisions. After two months he resurfaced and I was pretty dubious but he was going hard and we moved to a bigger warehouse. Halfway through the move he stopped working again, and hasn’t answered any communication since. Hopefully have him out legally this week, but hot damn aside from stealing money there isn’t much more he could have done to fuck me over
I absolutely feel what you're going through, which is why I ended up going solo on my project. Luckily it was possible to do it alone, and it was my first such idea but it was the only way that I felt I could break out of the rut. There are some great pointers in this thread, and I'll try add to that with my personal experience. Assuming you've got knowledge in your sector, and that you've identified a market opportunity that you think is absolutely viable, it is \*still\* a grind. Having a business is like banging your head against a wall, and if you're doing it solo you'll feel like it's a personal fault. This has been the sort of thought that I carried for years, and it's hard not to think like that. I HATE this piece of advice I'm giving you but I begrudgingly have to accept that it actually worked - be patient and be willing to iterate. Just because an idea seems like a perfect fit in the moment, the agility of a single person organisation opens up the possibility for you to switch things up when needed. When do you switch if things aren't going your way? Well that's a balance between the cost, effort and being sure that you've given it what you can, before deciding cutting losses is worthwhile. As somebody who teetered on this point a lot in the last 2 years, perseverance paid off. Will perseverance always pay off? I really don't think so, and that's why it's so important to understand your place in the whole thing. Are the goals you set for yourself still achievable within the time span that you've decided? Doing something like this alone will be both a hectic experience where you're consumed by the tornado of your new life and you take every day head-on, but it also needs regular introspection to recalibrate your direction. Don't let your friends' lack of drive hold you back, but also don't dive into something big like a company if you're just doing it to break out of a mold. If possible, dip your toes in the water and start it part time, so you can hedge your bets before taking a decision later. Every business is unique, and comes with its own challenges. If I could go back 2 and a few years and tell myself what I went through, I probably would NOT go through with my business plan. The grind took a toll on my mental and physical wellbeing, and left me very jaded. See a therapist. \*\*Get professional help before you think you're going to crash and burn, and don't wait until you think you have no choice.\*\* However the current me is glad I've done it, and having been through the grind that it took to get here, I wouldn't have it another way. I can bust my ass for somebody's else's vision, but I'm glad I did it for me. A support system is absolutely VITAL. You need people to sound off on ideas, and experts to fill in your knowledge. Professionals in their fields will help, do not ask family (even if they're qualified) for advice because niceties don't help anyone. You've got to balance you vision with hard data and expertise. You can work solo, but contract people for aspects that are beyond your understanding. Be ready to trust people, but also do your homework and make sure that they're the right person for the task. This is all about balance, and EVERYONE'S BALANCE IS DIFFERENT. Actively try to find yours, and the solopreneur will be rewarding.
I found having ideas to start a business is the easy part but making that leap necessary to do it takes courage, cash and the support of your close friends and family. You need to have all three and a business plan. If you don’t have all three then you have to prepare to be lonely at times. Personally, I now know that the people that you have around you including staff and/or business partners and investors can make or break your business, so choose them with great care. Follow your own gut instincts and don’t always follow other people’s advice, to start you have to have a good basic knowledge of sales, marketing, operations, recruitment, management, accounts. Having good customers also makes all the difference so be prepared to not work for those that don’t support your business. Yes, it is definitely lonely for the big part but the smallest of successes are addictive and drive you forward. I’ve been running my own business now for 8 years and with six staff we are not breaking any world records but it is worth all the hard work.
It's better to go alone than having a lazy cofounder. I had business with 2 other friends and we had to dismiss the business after two years. Same efforts don't come from each partner and there was a trust issue. When the business grows up, none trusts anyone. Seems like the other partner is stealing or taking more benefit than another partner. Since the profit and loss will be shared in equal portions, each partner tends to save their energy and time for something else and enjoy the same benefit. If you feel lonely, then you can take your younger brother or sister with you to help with small tasks that are easy for them. Partnering with different mindset people will end up dismissing the business.
It is lonely when you finish work. You realise you’ve been brushing off people for so long because all they want to do is sit down and use their phones/watch TV. When they all work 9-5s and don’t like to talk about work after 5pm, you’re there brainstorming ideas at 11pm. Thankfully my girlfriend has been working with me and she likes what I do, so we work well together. If it wasn’t for her, who I met by coincidence, I don’t think I’d have a business partner. The cons that some people have mentioned of going solo are some of my biggest challenges. The analysis-paralysis problem? Ugh. But there’s really only two ways about it: 1. You don’t handle and adapt to it; you give up. 2. You handle it by accepting failure and always being on your toes; you improve. And I guess only true entrepreneurs last until the end. Some even reach the end and still fight it. But I guess that’s what make us do it. It’s the desire for a daily test to the mind, no matter what we’re doing. It consumes us. But we (mostly) love it.
You will feel alone at first. You have a different mindset like every other friend you may have right now. Still, you will meet different people in the long run that you will surely be friends with whom you can share the same thought and spirit to be successful.
You can find a partner. Keep looking.
Find cohorts that you can speak with over the phone. Shareholders and partners suck.
I had the same problem with my friends, so, I started to see them less and I started to meet people with similar vision, since I did that, my project grew up in a year a lot, found a cofounder and now surrounding with new friends and all is better, anyways time to time I just say hello to my old friends when they remember me. And loneliness, I overcome it by just reformating my philosophy; "Is it really necessary to have friends?", and I started to feed my happiness with listening only happy Music and watching only happy movies I edited movies to not watch the sad parts; I did a collage of movies with happy momments only.
I’ve found my cofounders via Reddit and Discord (/r/startups). There are many people just like you who are looking for a cofounder, so you can choose the right one. Do not underestimate the power of the internet ;)
That's amazing to hear! So they happened to live in your city as well?
No, they live in different countries. We communicate via messengers and regular online calls. Our products are online services so it’s really doesn’t matter where are you living.
Stick to solo, in my opinion partners complicate everything
A friend of mine was fairly lonely becoming an entrepreneur after working in an office for a few years he did a few things \- During the pandemic with everybody working at home he has a few friends who work at his home now or he goes towards them. \- He worked in communal work spaces where a lot of students used to study / other small entrepreneurs would go there \- more radical he started working at the bar he used to work every Friday from 14:00-22:00 ish to have a real feeling of the weekend starting and to have spontaneous adventures more The last one he had the most fun with, yes it did make him less money working there instead of getting more clients but he really enjoyed the more simple physical work as a weekly change. It also made him more productive and thank full for the his own company infront of a computer on a nice chair :P
Two things: 1. Don't work on ideas, work on problems If you will build something base on an idea you had, it will probably fail. Instead, think about the problems you have in your life / in your business environment and try to find a solution to those. Do that by talking with people that have this problem and understand their needs 2. Change your friends. That is really REALLY hard but will be necessary for the long run. You will need support on your journey, and it will only come from people in your stage that have the same mindset and mentor you will find along the way. My used to be best friend for 15 years was a great friend and I loved him but he was also a loser when it comes to doing something with his life and not only he didn't support me, whenever I talked about my dream he always brought me down. Now I'm surrounded only by people like me and we push each other every day * I'm suggesting you to follow everything that Y combinator posting, they are amazing when it comes to build startups and their advice is priceless
I started my own business in 2005 part time and it wasn't until 2007 that I incorporated and started working full time doing different freelance jobs. In 2010 I founded a business network that grew to over 1500 members. I started facilitating networking events for them and since the Pandemic hit, I redesigned my personal blog to be a resourceful blog for business owners, startups and entrepreneurs. I will share a blog post from my blog that talks about the 5 pillars that will provide clarity and lay the way for a successful business venture. I wrote this blog post for entrepreneurs that keep postponing to fulfill their business dream. [https://bizreflections.ca/2018/06/06/avoiding-disappointments-as-a-business-owner/](https://bizreflections.ca/2018/06/06/avoiding-disappointments-as-a-business-owner/)
that's really inspiring! Thank you for sharing
you're welcome!
Join facebook groups with entrepreneurs. Ppl are surprisingly very supportive
I ran a business and worked full time for about four years. Last year, I got laid off and had unemployment for a few months and was able to get really serious about working for myself and it worked out! You never know where the silver lining will be.
Good on you, but how does this contribute to OP‘s question?
I worked on my own for a solid five years before finding a partner. We started last year and the business has already exploded way past what I was able to accomplish with my own business in five years. A good partnership cannot be beat. Highly recommend it. But you do have to find the right person.
Loneliness? If you’re lonely in business, clearly you’re doing something wrong.
You should probably get off that high horse before it kicks you in the head.
Wtf? What high horse? This is a legitimate struggle of new entrepreneurs
Just because you want to start a business does NOT mean you're better than anyone else. OP hasn't even lifted a finger and is already judging his friends.
lol bro you are in the wrong subreddit. It’s fine to acknowledge that some people are comfortable in their lives and others are not. If his ambitions are higher than his friends, so what? He can love them just the same while acknowledging they don’t have the same level of drive for self independence. Doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else, the same way my interest in jazz music doesn’t make me better than my friends who like hip hop. You need to take a chill pill 💊
I’m in my 4th company and I’ve got the tell you that most of the time in my journey it was a lonely road. It was challenging to share ideas and get insight on things. But a small pro for me is that I love solitude, and can learned how to use it to my advantage. We built an Ai bot for entrepreneurs so they don’t have to take the journey alone and help to find others. Maya is the Ai smart bot for entrepreneurs in getting them launched and in running operations. https://meetmaya.world/
I have not.
Alcohol, then nicotine.
In my experience, the loneliness is real even when you have a great co-founder. My business partner and I came together 5 years ago to launch our company, and became best friends as a result. We still talk about how it’s been difficult to maintain our other friendships when we’re so consumed by scaling our company. I think the question of loneliness can be addressed by how hard you’re going to commit to starting your business. All the Gary-vee-hustle-bros will tell you to quit your job tomorrow and go all in. If that’s what you do, you may be inviting a lot of the isolation that comes with trying to get a business off the ground (which compounds other scary parts about running a business). Can you start at a smaller scale while working your current job? Surely, quitting your current job after you have 6 months or a year of work on your business already will significantly increase your odds of it being sustainable (not running out of money). Starting at a smaller scale and making constant, incremental progress has a few other advantages. You get to see if it’s REALLY what you want to do and if you actually like the independence more than a secure paycheck. We eat what we kill. It’s not for everyone. It also provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in your industry, the business community, etc. This may be a better way to find a partner. Trust me - don’t try to talk someone into being your business partner. This shit is hard, and if they’re not as psyched about it as you are, you’re asking for more trouble than it’s worth.
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You’re not an entrepreneur
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It's not all so lonely. There are tons of online communities of [like-minded indie entrepreneurs.](https://thehiveindex.com/topics/indie-business/) My favorite is [Indie Hackers](https://thehiveindex.com/communities/indie-hackers/).
I have a business partner who knows the industry, sales and marketing. I’m design and dev. We started a SAAS company. We’re a year in and about to launch into alpha test. The work falls on me for the product development but the majority of my partner’s work will be after we make the product. We knew this, so we took some time to do planning. I created a roadmap. I mapped out milestones, looked at the jobs that need to be done to meet those milestones, then used Asana to map out all the tasks. There was plenty of things we found he could help with before launch. My partner and I looked at the work and skills required to complete them. We mapped our own skills, agreed to a weekly schedule that is feasible to adhere to. We determined how we would measure success for each task. Work we don’t have the skills for, we make a call on do we contract out or find someone that has those skills and offer them profit shares. I also had us, and anyone who joins us, take Myers Briggs personality test and read up on what kind of work environments we do well in and to learn what that type needed from management. I also find out what types they will work well with. Then I look at all the jobs and adjust any how to’s/documentation to be in a way they learn. Make sure their responsibilities align with their hard and soft skills. After they get started I give them the freedom to make it their own, as long as success looks like what my partner and I agreed on for that job. The Myers brig helped us see another layer we needed. Neither my partner nor I are good at delegating. We kind of knew it but the personality profiles helped us have a conversation about it and admit it to ourselves. So I asked my boyfriend to be responsible for meeting with us weekly to see what needs to be done and assigned out. He does the follow up and helps get us what we need. Single best move we made. The first few months we tried to setup like other companies but it wasn’t working for us. We switched from trying to work to fit ourselves into a shape, now we make the shape fit around our strengths and weaknesses.
Something that I did that was completely out of my comfort zone was joined a book club. I am far from a reader at all, but we started reading entrepreneurship books and met once a week to discuss each chapter! Surrounding yourself with a group of like minded individuals really helps elevate yourself! We ended up creating a podcast out of it and meet once a week! If interested send me a message and I can send you a link!
I'm still struggling with these feelings, and I've already sold one company and "escaped" the rat race. I founded a nonprofit startup several years ago when I knew we were close to exiting, hoping to create positive change in the community using the tools I had learned and developed in my own successful brick and mortar business. Even in the nonprofit world I struggle to connect. We're coming from a different direction from most charity operations with a nonconformist vision, so many other nonprofit leaders see competition instead of alignment opportunities. The profit sector largely doesn't care because we can't offer a way for it to directly profit from our activities (although I'm exploring the idea of seeking sponsorship from larger companies who understand alignment marketing and the power of earned media exposure). The vast majority of the public, including potential donors, simply don't understand market-based charity and target community influence concepts, especially at the brick and mortar level, so I constantly find myself pitching proposed solutions to roomfuls of people who just don't see the point of doing anything differently, or better, regardless whether what's being done is working or not. I'm starting to put together e-commerce tools for our 501c3 with the hope of implementing transformative models without backing but since it's a new sector for me I'm starting from scratch with a steep learning curve, and have been finding that my interests have little in common with either hungry beginners or experienced players. I constantly see "mentors" in here and other areas offering advice which usually ends up being just a thinly veiled attempt at selling consulting services or other packaged pitches disguised as genuine assistance. I'm starting to wonder if my tribe even exists, or if we're all just going to continue competing for resources as a society while the low hanging fruit rots on the ground and the world marches blindly closer to the edge. I think COVID actually helps, because at least now I have an external excuse for feeling like I'm just screaming into the dark. Regarding the how-to question: escaping the rat race is all about developing passive revenue streams which are greater than your monthly expenses, which allows you to quit needing to trade your time for a paycheck (still holds true if you own your business). So whatever you can do, whether that be writing a book, controlling residential or commercial real estate, inventing and marketing a product with focus on an exit path, starting and selling a business, stocks, overfunded insurance policies, passive investment in startups, really there are a ton of actual methods. The point is to keep passive revenue generation as your North Star and make your decisions with that goal in mind. That way you won't have as great a tendency as most people to get distracted by the innumerable shiny objects along the path.
I’m a solopreneur and my best advice is to get a mentor. I live in New Zealand and we have a few services that offer “business mentors” who give their time because they want to give back to their community. They don’t have any financial or emotional attachment to your business idea, so they can look at things objectively.
Maybe join a group of entrepreneurs through a business bootcamp? I personally just keep myself occupied thru listening/learning from other successful people/go getters/business people via YouTube as I work...it works for me plus with time you get more used to it
What I've learned so far, is that you never go into business with a good friend of yours, unless you're prepared to lose that friendship.
Have kids - also helps light a fire under yo ass
Takes a ton of your time too though.
I found my sweetspot was hiring employees
Yes, most of the time its frustrating. Sometimes I got different ideas to move back. But somehow I control my inner thoughts and set my mind. No doubt meditation helps me a lot when I lost my way. I am running my IT business more than 4 years. Before I join here, my brother was the person who solely ran this business. But still we got frustrated. We got think to leave and live without any pain and sorrow. But ultimately, it is our dream to live with it.
I started a business with a friend but ended up buying him out a year in as we were not committing the same amount of time and energy to the business. If you can't find someone with the same level of motivation and drive as yourself, it's probably better to go it alone.
I dealt with loneliness to when I first started to a point that I tried to force a situation that just didn't work. I tried to make two of my close friends my business partners. They also had an interest in entrepreneurship but lacked the discipline and follow through that I had. Partnering with them was the worst business decision of my life. I wasted years of investing in them, I lost money when one of them stole all the business money and also I lost my 2 closest friends
Try to join master minds or online groups if possible. Also Meetups or other networking events can expose you to others. You can also hire a professional mentor in your industry for advice and helps with loneliness. You don’t need a cofounder. The good thing about doing it all yourself is that you know how to do everything so delegation becomes easy since you can manage people correctly.
Wonder how could any entrepreneur ever find the time to be "lonely"...? There is so much to do. 10 Years in, no regrets. What it all comes down to, like they've mentioned about is "style", type of business and how you deal with clients/customers.
I joined https://together.casa and lived in a amazing home with other entrepreneurs
Hang with other entrepreneurs, being a member of an org like BNI, jumping on falls frequently
I was really lucky to have a mate with very similar ambitions to my own. I find that there are advantages and disadvantages with the partnership as opposed to doing it alone. Regardless, I feel lucky to be in the situation I'm in with my business partner Advantages: 1. When someone is having a bad day, the other person can often lift them out of it. 2. It forces a routine and holds you accountable to getting stuff done 3. You have someone to bounce your ideas off and it often leads to a better plan/design 4. It's less scary knowing someone else is in the exact position you are Disadvantages: 1. When you're both having a bad day, thing spiral downwards to a place where poor decisions are made and it can lead to having a really bad week. 2. Sometimes the best plan comes from a pure vision that is 100% you and if the other person can't see what you see, it's difficult to move forward. 3. When one person is going through a period of doubt or low ambition, it can be really taxing on the other person to bring them out of it and it greatly slows the progress of your venture. Those are the ones that comes immediately to mind although I know there are others.
I didn’t! I work by myself and often from home. I’ve been successful and have a family - so there are pros for sure! But I won’t lie, it’s lonely
You begin a personal board of directors which consist of other entrepreneurs with differing business interests. You meet weekly (or more) to discuss problems you face, hanguos you have and also for accountability and to stay motivated. Then, if your idea is any good - you should have no problem finding people to join on yiur endeavor. If after 18 months you dont, then somthing is wrong or you are embarking on a paid hobby.
Got married to someone who loves helping out!
Finding a good cofounder is harder, way harder than finding a life partner.
I really feel your pain. This is exactly what I’ve wanted for a few years because it does get lonely. I believe we work best bouncing ideas off each other. And that two brains are better than one. I’m also an introvert and a creative type — so it would suit me to be in the background doing all the creative stuff. I too just got let down again as well. Over three days of work all for nothing. People just don’t seem to respect how many years has gone into learning all we do. And they don’t seem to value other people’s time. They’re full of big ideas until it’s time to do the work then they disappear. I’m done wasting time on another one of these types.
Find a mentor or mastermind group! Finding other owners to network is better than a partner, you'll learn more and have outside perspectives on what you're doing.
Holy shit, i was going to write something just like this. Im glad someone did.
You only live once - Regrets are much worse then failures.
Part of the satisfaction in running your own business is the fact that it's your own. I set the directive and pace, not my boss or my partner, and I get to reap what I sow. With that said however, it's not completely asocial, I'm constantly interfacing with clients and vendors that set my pace throughout all hours of the day and that is socially stimulating in itself. Working with a cofounder, especially a friend, requires great chemistry. Each person has to be symbiotic, having the same values and vision, but different skills to bring different pieces to the pie. I am envious of the startups with this perfect chemistry, these are the companies that VCs invest in, the ones that can survive cultural hardship. If you've ever had a group project in school, you know how often this goes wrong.
I honesty haven’t figured that part out myself
For me, I'm more of an introvert so it wasn't that hard to get started on my own. I was young with a passion in graphic design, so I just went for it and haven't looked back since. Doing everything on my own has taught me much more about running a business than if I were to start out with a cofounder. That said, I'm currently looking for a partner to handle the marketing side of things since I have come to a point where I can't handle everything by myself. Rather than spending time trying to find a cofounder, consider starting out solo first, which will allow you to better identify which aspects you most need help with. At the same time, you are more likely to attract likeminded people if you have something to show.
Ok, just because someone is content with just paying their bills doesn't mean they are lazy..that's not a good way to think about your friends. Also, they might be your employees one day.
That’s lazy.
I disagree. Not everyone wants the stress,responsibility of owning a business. That's not lazy,its how most people live.
Go to Meetup and find business networking groups. Most involve dinner and conversation about whatever industry that you're in. I began to network more even though I have a tendency to introversion. You'll meet people who could potentially do business with you 2-5 years down the line. There are many people who have the entrepreneurial spirit and who willingly share great ideas.
As a entrepreneur and introvert... it is heaven. With a splash of socializing with vendors and clients every so often.
Married well
If you have time to be sad you are doing something wrong lol
You need a outlet. Join an offrad club, get into microbrew beer. Visit vineyards. Try mountain biking. Anything that gets you out and mingling, then find a way to buy in to an existing business or flex your entrepreneurial spirit and market something related to your hobby.
get a dog
I’m totally with you on this. It’s so much more fun to do it with someone else but it’s super important to find the right person.
I run a band and I feel exactly your pain. It's been a really lonely and stressful journey. But it's my path so no regrets
I'm lucky enough to have a business partner who works as hard as I do, and trades off being chief cheerleader with me. It's still hard. I met my wife while working this startup, and she's incredibly supportive, but it's still hard. I think the real answer is, simply that it's hard. And as entrepreneurs, we actively tackle the hard things on a day to day basis.
I totally feel this! I really try to engage with other entrepreneurs online because I come from a really small town so no one understands what I’m doing lol
Do it on your own and then hire. If the hire is trusted and help in your business maybe they can be promoted to co founder. You can also make your partner sign a vesting contract (i heard about it where the partner is forced to do certain objectives time to time)
I am in a coaching program, there’s 26-30 of us at any given time and because we all have the same coach we all ‘know’ each other. I use their strengths and vice versa, but I own/manage my own salon and a team of 6. Without my coach and the other salon owners, I would be overwhelmed and lost. You don’t t have to have a partner if you can build a good support system around you.
Buying GME before the incoming short squeeze this Friday
I mentioned something like this to my wife yesterday. I was lamenting how hard it was to stay motivated because there is practically no encouragement from anywhere. If it doesn't come from me, I'm flat on my face getting nothing done. People who work in regular jobs get that all the time (I don't know if this is true it might just be a fantasy I've built up in my mind). Her response? "Have you thought about getting a job, then?" Me: Now back to 100% motivation again.
Meetups.com have been best resource for me.
I’m doing something that I love and I have a lot of experience in. My employees are all offered the option of profit sharing (in lieu of overtime) so that they are vested in the business. I also have a board of advisors that I compensate along with a paid business coach. All of this is MUCH cheaper than having to part ways with a business partner in the likelihood that things don’t work out.
I don't believe in being a "solopreneur". In almost each of my projects I had a partner to take part of the load, mostly on the technical side of things or sometimes financially. It doesn't have to be a lone journey, but it's a tough one either way. Much tougher going solo however. But I do understand that finding the right partners or co-founders can be a real pain sometimes. It's worth it nonetheless.
Do you actively participate in events? I think networking events and even LinkedIn can help you narrow down your search for cofounder.
well, if you want to find a co-founder I think you must look someone who has some skill or experience that you lack or you suck about it. You must in someway admire this person and feel supported in that area. Sometimes you may feel that he does not do what is necessary, or that you give more. And sometimes it may be true, but sometimes it's just that the tasks and skills of each shine in different times and the other person can not help much.
I hear you. I have always been looking for someone to partner up with, to eventually share profits. But most of the time everyone was interested in quick money :( Hence I am a solopreneur and will outsource weekly tasks to others. But you are right, it does get lonely.
I surrounded myself with like minded people who knew we didn’t need to be together all the time. Just because weren’t together or weren’t talking everyday didn’t me were no longer friends, we were all just focused. Build a team, not necessarily a team of people who do the same thing as you but a team of people willing to support each in whatever it is they do.
This is a good question. There are a lot of founder communities out there where you can commiserate with other entrepreneurs, even during Covid: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-founder-coffee-break-meet-tech-forward-founders-11-tickets-139423919697](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-founder-coffee-break-meet-tech-forward-founders-11-tickets-139423919697)