Entrepreneurship - an introspection

Well, I am still learning but boy, what a heck of a journey it has been!

 

I started my venture with a dream of creating a product that will make a difference in people’s lives. My journey since then has been full of excitement, learning, exhaustion, frustration - a concoction of all possible feelings. On my “high” days I feel like I am the next Sara Blakely, Kiran Mazumdar or Oprah Winfrey and on my “low’ days, it’s abysmal as if following my dream was the biggest mistake of my life. 

 

My “highs” keep me going but it comes with its own baggage of self-doubt, blurring lines between personal and professional life, no guarantee of success, and other realities of being an entrepreneur. I realized early on that the baggage will be heavy, and at times difficult to carry. But that was only after quitting my well-paying corporate job and jumping into the bandwagon of entrepreneurship. 

 

Thankfully I am not carrying the heavy baggage for ultimately building wealth for someone else.

I am the CEO of my own venture! I passionately believe there is a problem, it needs a solution, and that’s what I am standing for. Yes, agree that CEO is just one part of it, and I need to simultaneously manage almost every aspect of running an organization. But it has taught me so much – lessons that have enriched both my personal and professional life. I have learnt to be more patient and empathetic with others. Most importantly I now appreciate, more than ever before, what goes behind building a top-quality product or providing a world class service. 

 

Would I trade my current situation to any other option that pays me a good salary, a nine to five workday, and a corporate environment of standing desks, huddle rooms and happy hours? It sure sounds tempting but nothing beats the excitement and gratification that I get when I see our customers using our product repeatedly and benefiting from it!

 

Nothing like living the life of your dreams and being able to pursue something that you are passionate about. However, I must add that there are many of us who do not have the liberty or the support system to follow our dreams or passion. It is always easier said than done! Having a passion alone does not help. There is a lot more that must fall in place to get started. But again, like the famous author Kobi Yamada once said, “Follow your dreams, they know the way.”, and it is definitely worth a try!

 

 

-  Mrinalini Ayachit, an avid arts and technology enthusiast

    CEO, VIBRNZ