My While Loop Won t Run Again When I Try to Call the Method a Second Time
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
"So...how are sales going?"
startupstockphotos.com "Have you had any write-ups in the media notwithstanding?"
"How long will you run this before you sell the company?"
These questions, on their surface, don't seem unusual. They're certainly the types of questions you might enquire whatsoever established business possessor. Only they seem a bit premature to ask someone who launched a business just three days prior, right?
Apparently I'chiliad wrong.
Within 3 days of launching my newest business, Thread Experiment (the start ever abode bedding brand for men), I fielded these questions and others similar it from friends and colleagues.
In some ways, I was flattered by these questions considering it assumed I would exist successful.
But in other ways, it made me feel more than pressure because…it assumed I would be successful.
Some groundwork for you:
Me 1.0
Back in 2004, my wife and I started a repose little 'business' in the basement of our Chicago dwelling. We tried designing and selling neckties over the interwebs. We called information technology The Tie Bar. A crazy idea back then.
I was a full-time practicing chaser. She was a immature mom. We borrowed the last bit of equity from our dwelling house to start the business organization. We did all our piece of work late at night when the kids were sleeping. Nosotros did everything ourselves. Nosotros had no idea what the hell we were doing. We had fun.
Related: Get Your Product Figured Out Get-go
Over the side by side ix years, nosotros would grow this company to nigh $20 million in almanac revenue. Along the mode, our friends cheered usa on and sat equally surprised as we did every bit The Necktie Bar grew into a household name for men's accessories. Every new achievement felt great. Every press mention flattered the states. Every happy customer made our day.
Over the years, we expanded our product line and sold near every kind of men'southward fashion accessory you can think of. Our products graced the covers of several GQ magazines, and male celebrities all over Hollywood were wearing our products.
By 2013, nosotros were acquired by a private-equity firm. We like to tell people nosotros were an overnight-9-year success.
Read that concluding sentence once again – because that's the point of this column.
Me 2.0
After beingness bought out, nosotros moved to Florida where I speedily grew tired of playing tennis every day.
Somewhen, I thought upwards an idea for a new business and found two partners to join me. After 16 months of hard work, we finally launched our startup in May, fully bootstrapped.
And this is when those questions started pouring in.
"So...how are sales going?"
"Have you had any write-ups in the media notwithstanding?"
"How long will you run this before you sell the company?"
As much every bit I'm flattered by these questions – information technology assumes Thread Experiment had already taken off similar a rocket in just iii days – they are also a bit unfair.
Related: Your New Brand Should Exist an Extension of Yourself
The Reality
Let me clarify – I am loving this startup thing. Equally The Tie Bar grew, things started to come easy. Way likewise easy. I no longer had to pitch a reporter about our company. I no longer had to promise nosotros'd make payroll. I no longer take to do whatsoever of the grunt work – I had a staff doing that.
And that's all great. But the truth is, I prefer it the other way.
I dear building a make from scratch. To do all the grunt piece of work myself again. Yes, I have to cold-call people and give them my pitch – but I love that, too.
Nosotros are a startup. With the exception of a few 'lottery winners,' most startups accept time – a lot of fourth dimension – to go whatever traction. Like years.
In 3 days, we launched our website. Began our Google AdWords campaign. Our Facebook Ads campaign. We've pitched the media. Nosotros've reached out to retailers. Nosotros started our procedure with Amazon.
But whatever I accomplished with The Tie Bar has no bearing on whether Thread Experiment will succeed. Thread Experiment volition be judged on its own merits. Its own products. Its ain make.
And it will need its ain luck. Its ain expert fortune. Its own lessons.
Which means that this startup tin fail just as probable as any other. And I'm fine with that.
But I'm not certain my friends and colleagues are.
We all know those statistics almost how few businesses fifty-fifty survive for i year. So even if I am lucky plenty to last more than a year, I then need patience to grow. Patience to let my startup germinate.
In that location's a saying that I've heard time and again: Practise it once, you're lucky. Do it twice, you're good. I tend to concur with that saying. And I'll do my all-time to prove I'k good.
Just requite me a little time.
Related: Cease Pretending and Just Exist Yourself
Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246754
0 Response to "My While Loop Won t Run Again When I Try to Call the Method a Second Time"
Post a Comment