Getting a grasp on the real road ahead

I'm not going to make you successful, we are!

When I meet/interview start-ups either as a coach, an advisor, or as a potential member of the founding team, I'm often confounded by the following statement: "You're really going to make this thing a success, we're psyched to have you involved!"

"Whoaa, hold on?

As flattering as that may sound it's sending the message that you're not confident without my help, and secondly, it asks one of the paramount questions of true entrepreneurship: "Is this person an entrepreneur or are they just an opportunist?

Rule 1 for the road ahead: Know that your entire team understands the pain of being a start-up entrepreneur. We are all here to add context and applied value, and one of the most important distinctions for any start-up is knowing that your team is going to live and die for this idea. Sorry, but there is no "family first" in our lives. I'm not trying to be a jerk either, but the difference between opportunity and entrepreneurship is vast and wide, and it starts with dogged commitment.

The reality is that many teams have at least one or maybe even two opportunists that are excited by the notion of being an entrepreneur, but when the really hard work, sweat, failures, and rocky patches come, they run for the hills. This is a much harder career and lifestyle choice that's not about idealism or romantic notions of success. It's a constant grind filled with second guessing, fear, doubt, and plenty of panic. Chip and I often laugh at how many times we dissuade people from wanting to start companies. The % of successes is getting smaller, and the pace of failure is getting faster (which is actually a good thing).

Rule 2 for the road ahead: This is a business of trying to de-risk big sectors while you try to solve big problems with big repeatable solutions. Good entrepreneurs never talk about success in the early days. They talk about data, milestones, traction, proof points. It's really about consistent process, learning, and better execution with each turn. So when I hear that "you're going to make this thing a success" my answer is, actually "I'm going to try and help us avoid mistakes, I'm going to help this team de-risk our chances for failure".

Mistakes are a part of the game, and most common start-up mistakes are about nuance. Not all mistakes are obvious, they feel like they are right in front of your face, but they are often subtle. Be careful not to look at the road ahead as though it is the yellow brick road of success, spend an equal amount of time making smarter decisions on how to minimize failure and risk.

We started Refresh to help teams navigate these subtlety's because there are meaningful distinctions between a sincere, committed team, vs. a start-up of opportunists. Secondly, we love success, but it comes largely from making mistakes as much as it comes from swinging for the fence? Making mistakes builds humility, instills dedication, commitment and perseverance. Focusing on "how successful a new person will make your team" sounds like someone looking for a get rich quick opportunity. Good investors expect failure, so instead of painting rosy pictures of big revenue models that are suspicious, show them that you are grounded, realistic, and not going to run for the hills. Be an entrepreneur!