My Adventures of flying solo

So there I was, 13-odd years into a corporate career, finally deciding to take the plunge into the vast and unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. True to my meticulous nature and my ever-present excel sheet, I had spent time examining my options, done my SWOT analysis, worked out the financials…basically I had done all possible left-brain thinking and created scenarios, sub-scenarios and counter-scenarios. And I sat back and wondered why this was the nth time I was doing this same exercise when I hadn't moved a muscle in the right direction in the past, and what was so different about this one time that I was willing to take the plunge now, when I did nothing about it all those other times. For all you employees-turned-entrepreneurs out there, what is that one moment - the trigger - that gave you the courage (or the foolhardiness?) to 'just do it'?

Let me share with you how it worked out in my case. And if you are in the place where I was a year ago, my advice is to watch out for the triggers and take progressive action.

1.       Identify your Dream: Thanks to a grade-based education system, we are all wired to do what others see us doing well, not what we really want to see ourselves doing well. Our careers are mostly spent doing what we don’t mind doing, and what we can make a reasonable amount of money doing, instead of utilizing our most productive years doing what we really enjoy. Instead, try to make a conscious effort to discover your dream. Idyllic as that may sound, it ultimately boils down to what kind of work will give you the feeling of leading a wholesome and enriched life - one where your work has meaning, where your work resonates deeply with your core values, and which does not cause you to feel like you are compromising all that's important in your life - your family, friends, interests, passions, and the unique contribution that you can make. From the day I figured out that I enjoyed coaching and really wanted to do something for young people, it took me two whole years to give a name to the little idea that had taken seed in my head, realizing that it was just refusing to go away like the other flights of fancy that I had indulged in in the past, and figuring out that this is indeed what I want to spend the rest of my professional life doing. But once you get that clarity, make it the top-of-the-mind thought for yourself.

2.   Turn a bad job scenario into an opportunity, but watch out for 'rebounds': Many are the moments one can recount, where one felt down under. The job sucked, the boss sucked, and work-life was a drag. Then emerged from the dregs of your memory - like the light at the end of the tunnel - that one thing you always wanted to do. I say, great. Let this be the trigger. But beware of the bad job scenario being the ONLY trigger to changing to entrepreneurship. Like all rebound relationships which are based on the negativity of the past relationship, this too is bound to dry up soon. And you don’t want to treat your dream so callously, do you?

3.     Plan, plan, plan. But don't be afraid to take the risk: If you are a twenty-something person with minimum to zero financial liabilities, this should be comparatively easier for you. But those of you who are in the same thirty-plus boat as I am would know how many times we've told ourselves stories about why this can't be done. We have our entire lives, our children's entire lives, planned out on the excel sheet (yes, the same one!), and why be crazy enough to throw it all away on a whim? In my years as an HR person in companies coaching distraught employees after mergers, layoffs and job losses, I can tell you that gone are the days when corporate jobs offered job security. The corporate world as we know it today is fraught with stories of layoffs & job realignments…in short, an unforeseen risk. A risk which we take in our stride because we don't really have a choice. The only difference in taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, is that this time you make the choice yourself, towards an identified end-purpose, and therefore are better prepared for it.

4. The power of Community: In school, we are taught to be the best (singular), aspire to the top position (singular), be the fastest or the smartest (all singular). It's time we quickly unlearnt this one singularly useless lesson. In a world where everyone has access to the same opportunities, competing to be better than everyone else is a lost battle from the word go. Instead, focus on doing the best you can. In my year-long journey of entrepreneurship, the biggest lesson I have learnt is that if you want to make something really big, something that creates substantial value to a large number of people, flying solo all the way may not take you very far very fast. Instead of keeping your cards close to your chest and sharing minimum information with least number of people, reach out and build your community. Talk about your idea to as many like-minded people as you can, hear what they are working on, and offer to help. Watch out for opportunities to collaborate.  There's some really good stuff on the net on similar topics, here's one of my favourites: http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2009/11/01/5-tips-to-becoming-a-more-customer-centric-organization/

5.     No shortcuts to Action: In the end, all that planning and motivation won't amount to much if you don't go out there in the middle of action. Whether you are out there checking the market worth of your idea, or networking to increase your base, or spending hours practicing and refining your offering, there's no easy replacement for hard work. At The Potter’s earth, since the time we went into development mode, our team - a motley bunch of extremely passionate and crazy people - has been working round the clock, right through weekends, for the last 6 months. We look at every personal and professional interaction with other people as potential sales opportunities, although none of us are trained or experienced sales professionals. We are always in recruiting mode, looking to spot talent who might be amenable to working crazy hours fueled by their own passion (Hint! Hint!). And so far, I haven't faced any issues of employee disengagement or complaints of poor work-life balance.

As you begin your entrepreneurial journey, be warned that it is going to be a long, sometimes lonely, often unclear road. But remember to keep going. My mantra at such times has been, "If you lose your way, just follow your passion!"

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Anamika Dasgupta Sharma is a Youth Coach and Co-Founder of  The Potter's Earth. 

In her past life, Anamika was an HR professional and worked with various corporate giants. Along the way, she found her true calling to help young people to make informed career choices, and thus was born the idea of Potter's Earth. 

Between the pre-teen days of her two boys and the hectic fledgling days of her startup venture, Anamika enjoys a crazy but fulfilling life, which she refuses to trade with anything less crazy. She tops it all up with indulging her passion for writing, blogging and reading.