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Following the herd won’t make you a leader

Owning a startup is like owning an empire of your own. While each one of us manages to stay in our respective cubicles, there are some fickle minded ones who successfully manage to begin their venture.

However, this doesn’t begin in a single day. Every entrepreneur goes through a number of risk zones, cautioned advices and grinding nights to reach there. While there are number experiences, there are some saner pieces of advice that entrepreneurs are better off not listening to.

Here is a compiled list of five sane bits of advice that every entrepreneur should ideally not listen to, because no matter what, the route to success is paved by no-one else but you:

1. Settle down first

Being settled is good since it creates a comfort zone, but not when it comes to starting up. You must constantly be on the look out for innovation and disruptions. The moment you decide to settle with an idea and create a comfort zone around it, it’s sure thing that it will soon swallow you and make you complacent. Keep that unsatisfied expectation always on your sleeves, since it lets you go a long way.

2. Always go for experienced employees

Sages and saints often advise the new generation to hire the ones who have already experience in the field since they can provide major input toward the growth of the startup. But, contrary to this belief, hiring fresher minds can turn out to be more beneficial. People with fresh perspectives are enthusiastic, inclined to learn and raw in terms of talent. Their ideas often go hand-in-hand with a keen sense of good trends, which is ideally necessary for expansion and growth.

3. You are too young

The colour of your beard is certainly not an evidence of your wisdom. Young entrepreneurs often get to hear that they are too inexperienced to actually build an empire, but hold on! Since when did age guarantee maturity? Go ahead, if you believe that your idea is worth your investments.

4. Know your business

Yes, true! Knowing your business in and out is mandatory, but giants of the industries didn’t advance in their business merely by minding their own. A keen eye on competitors and expertise of their moves is also necessary if you wish the survival of your startup in the long run.

5. Focus on profit

This is correct, but partially. You need to focus on profits, but ‘only’ profits? Well, no! Your startup is not merely an organisation, but rather a brewing passion that you are making workable day in and out. Without profit, the startup is not going to survive, but broaden your senses and focus on other facets such as building relationships. This shall take you and your startup a long way.

Owning a startup is not a cake walk and the advice that worked for them may not work for you. Hence, do what your practical senses feel right with, and you shall be able to gather a whole lot of new experiences. Advice from your network should be welcomed, but don’t just take their word for it. Following the herd won’t make you a leader.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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