Has anyone laughed at your business idea?
Seven years ago, when I was 21 years old, I started my podcast Businesspodden together with Mikael Arndt. Shark Tank & Dragons' Den inspired the idea for the podcast. I knew nothing about podcasts. I didn't know much about investing. I wasn't well-known and had no significant following on social media. But I had a clear goal that I wrote down once every day.
Several of my friends and acquaintances laughed a lot when I told them that I started a podcast to discuss startups. They said things like, "Josef, you're 21; what do you know about that?"
But I have always been stubborn and refused to listen to negative people who just talked sh*t without giving any concrete, valuable input. I know where I'm going, I know I can work hard, and I work very hard to get there.
In the beginning, it was hard, really hard. I felt like giving up maaaany times. That's why a clear goal is super important, and to remind yourself of it every day.
Fast-forward five years (until I was 26), and I live the life I had as a goal. I was a tech investor who ran CG Partners in Sweden and been assessing over 3000 business ideas.
Therefore, I ask you again, do you have a business idea that someone close to you laughed at?
Takeaways for you who are/want to be an entrepreneur
- As an entrepreneur, you need to be asocial. That means you need to be able to "not listen" to all the opinions, bullsh*t, ideas, etc., everybody around you will tell you.
- When people laugh at you or try to push you down, use that as even more fuel to your inner drive.
- You don't need to have figure out everything when you start. Build the airplane when you're in the air.
- Write down your goals every day. It's super important to have your goals top-of-mind when it gets tough out there. And yes, it will get extremely tough.
- The best idea doesn't win; it's all about execution.
