Figuring out starting up

I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Learnemy dies

Not when I run out of money, because money can be made

Not when I can’t find customers, because people always spend money (yes, even those “I don’t like to be sold to” people buys something everyday)

Not when I can’t find good team members, because the world has 7 billion people

But when I stop believing in it.

Yes, Learnemy dies when I stop believing in it. Circumstances only speed up or slow down its death, they don’t seal its fate.

Was talking to an entrepreneur earlier today and he shared that when he started his law firm, he didn’t have a fall back plan. He bought over the company he worked at a monthly installment of $5,000. His pay at that company? $700.

The lack of fall back plan made him hustle hard.

Then I thought, I have a lot of fall back plans – I can get a job, I don’t pay rent, I’m gonna be fine even if Learnemy fails.

Hmmm.

Last week I needed a cab and didn’t have cash with me. So naturally, I asked the taxi driver if she accepts payments by card.

Usually if I get a ‘no’, the driver will not take me – but not this driver.

She said, “I will bring you to an ATM. I want to earn your trip.”

Immediately she piqued my curiosity. All the drivers I’ve come across chose to miss out on the potential earning from an additional trip over convenience. It’s the first time I hear a taxi driver says, “I want to earn your trip”.

I knew she was of a different breed.

So I started making small talks, hoping to find out more about her. When I finally got around to ask what she was doing prior to driving a taxi, she told me she did “office work”.

It was only until I told her that I am an entrepreneur that she eased up and confessed…

She used to be an entrepreneur.

From my other observations, I’m starting to agree that founders are really different from everyone else.

I recently had a couple of meetings where I shared that Learnemy, at its current stage, is a long way from being a million dollar business.

Here are two responses I’ve got:

“You need to rethink about Learnemy. You are a university graduate and you are missing out $2k – $3k of salary every month.”

“You need to rethink about Learnemy. You are not going to make millions out of this business.”

(Note: Reponses are obviously paraphrased and not the actual words.)

Managers at SPRING made the first response. Boyd Au made the second.

Both responses are made with my interests in mind. Both responses suggested I do the same thing. But the mentality behind each of the responses can’t be more different from the other.