Start-up cycle: how it resembles our life
An infant elephant is tied up with chains. He tries very
hard to break free but fails. Every day he wakes up with a new hope, toils day
long and sleeps with disappointment and failure. This continues for a while and
gradually he gives up. He accepts that chains are unbreakable. With time, he
grows into a big powerful elephant, still tied to the same chain. Today he is
so powerful so as to break-free within seconds but he has given up.
The same is true with our lives. As a child, we were
inquisitive and creative but cease to be creative and question the society
doctrine as we grow up. Still wondering how this story is related to start-ups?
Infant elephant is a startup which tries too many things initially but fails in
want of power, resources and network. Chains are the constraints of resources.
In the beginning, resources are limited hence many venture might fail in want of
resources. But slowly the reach of company grows. It gradually grows into a
successful enterprise. Some of its failed idea can change the world today. But
start-up has been conditioned to believe that the idea lacks the spark.
The point that I want to drive home is: remain creative and
inquisitive as your start-up grows. You are not the same as you were a decade back;
the same is true for your start-up. Just because you failed once, doesn't
imply that you would fail every time or just because an idea clicked in yesteryears
doesn't guarantee its success every single time.
Time, person and place are major factors which affect the
dynamics of a start-up. You need to identify the idea whose time has come. Facebook might have failed miserably, had
it cropped up a decade earlier as Internet had not penetrated to the masses
then. So you need to be at right time with right persons at right place to
fancy your chances of success. Time suggests the state in life-cycle of start-up you are in. It is important that
you know your limitations as an infant elephant and recognize your power as you
grow up. Person refers to the team
that you have and persons you interact with including your customers, VCs and
investors. Place includes your physical location and external environment you
deal with. Clearly time, person, place for start-ups change drastically over
years. Hence, don't stay chained up, break free. try out, experiment, fail,
fall, stand and try again!!!
