10 Aspects of Starting Up That You Shouldn’t Dread

These parts of starting up are not as intimidating as many business owners let on.

Question: What is one part of starting up that was easier than you anticipated?

Finding a Support Network

"A support network of other entrepreneurs will make any journey a lot more enjoyable -- and a lot easier, too! By joining key networking groups, like YEC, and moving into a co-working space, building a support group of like-minded entrepreneurs after starting ZinePak was easier than I would have imagined. I never expected to make so many close friends so quickly!"


Writing a Business Plan

"...because it turned out to be completely unnecessary. You need a general plan of what you're accomplishing, but you'll find that it changes incredibly quickly and that all of your assumptions were completely wrong. The 30- to 50-page business plans you might have done for a class in undergrad won't be very helpful and can even distract from doing real work. "


Attracting Attention and Exposure

"The amount of media attention and the speed in which we received it was easier than anticipated. Our Indiegogo campaign certainly helped us reach a large audience quickly and our quick success attracted media and more exposure. "


Pitching to Investors

"Getting in a room to pitch your idea is incredibly easy if you're killing it in your operations/development. Really -- pitching is just telling the story. If you're weaving an incredible story to begin with, pitching becomes infinitely easier. Investors notice this."


Fundraising

"Raising money was something that I was SO worried about, but when it came down to it, it was easy. Having a great product with an amazing team is key in this process. Traction is a must."


Finding the Right Idea

"Ideas are cheap and not hard to come by, but it's difficult for inexperienced entrepreneurs to get their minds around that notion. I remember with my first startup how special I thought we were for finding a problem and building a solution for it. Well, needless to say, now I know better. Getting traction, execution and customer validation are actually the differentiators that matter to me now."


Resources

10 Aspects of Starting Up That You Shouldn’t Dread

These parts of starting up are not as intimidating as many business owners let on.

Question: What is one part of starting up that was easier than you anticipated?

Finding a Support Network

"A support network of other entrepreneurs will make any journey a lot more enjoyable -- and a lot easier, too! By joining key networking groups, like YEC, and moving into a co-working space, building a support group of like-minded entrepreneurs after starting ZinePak was easier than I would have imagined. I never expected to make so many close friends so quickly!"


Writing a Business Plan

"...because it turned out to be completely unnecessary. You need a general plan of what you're accomplishing, but you'll find that it changes incredibly quickly and that all of your assumptions were completely wrong. The 30- to 50-page business plans you might have done for a class in undergrad won't be very helpful and can even distract from doing real work. "


Attracting Attention and Exposure

"The amount of media attention and the speed in which we received it was easier than anticipated. Our Indiegogo campaign certainly helped us reach a large audience quickly and our quick success attracted media and more exposure. "


Pitching to Investors

"Getting in a room to pitch your idea is incredibly easy if you're killing it in your operations/development. Really -- pitching is just telling the story. If you're weaving an incredible story to begin with, pitching becomes infinitely easier. Investors notice this."


Fundraising

"Raising money was something that I was SO worried about, but when it came down to it, it was easy. Having a great product with an amazing team is key in this process. Traction is a must."


Finding the Right Idea

"Ideas are cheap and not hard to come by, but it's difficult for inexperienced entrepreneurs to get their minds around that notion. I remember with my first startup how special I thought we were for finding a problem and building a solution for it. Well, needless to say, now I know better. Getting traction, execution and customer validation are actually the differentiators that matter to me now."


See Also: Why You Should Compete in a Saturated Market

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