Entrepreneurship: It is you versus the rest of the world
Entrepreneurship is a lonely job. You may celebrate your successes (which are far too less) with your co-founders and your 'fevicol se bhi majboot' team, but it ends there. Even your closest friends don't understand your highs and lows. And, your failures (which are far too many) are 'celebrated' by everyone - your competition, the over-enthusiastic media-people, their neighbors and even their dogs. This piece comes straight from the heart, brace yourselves.
It is not that someone has asked you to choose this rather difficult path, you chose it yourself. So, you can't complain. I am acutely aware of it. But, there are days when you want to put it all out there. Today is one such day. Everyone knows that entrepreneurship demands your sweat, blood and tears. Trust me, in my rather short journey, I have done it all. I have cried multiple times. Last one was on a Saturday morning, when one of my editors took an unexpected leave.
If you are an entrepreneur, you don't have a personal life. Even on a date, something or the other comes up and you end up chatting with your team-mates. The other person gives you a nasty stare, you apologize. I am talking from personal experience here. You lose your friends as you don't have time for them, you lose your black hair as you don't have time for them either. You end up gaining a lot of calories. And, perhaps some work satisfaction.
Passion, if unchecked, turns into aggression. I am a victim of passion. I want to bring my A-game to work everyday, and I don't understand if someone can't. This job of being an entrepreneur also makes you schizophrenic - I get irritated if someone gives me pressure, and I get restless if someone does not take pressure. The line is getting increasingly blurred.
I am ranting because I am angry. And, I want to channelize my energy. I am ranting because an unsavory event happened a couple of days back, and everyone is trying to pull us back. And, I am not ready to give up, not yet. I am ranting because I know tomorrow will be a new day. And, I will be back with all my energy and passion.
Will I emerge unscathed after all of this ends? Well, I don't know. Will I have any more emotions left to invest after 30 years from now? I don't know. Will this bloody, sweaty, teary journey be all worth it? I don't know. I do know that nothing tastes like success, I also know I want to see the destination and then find new ones. I know I want to give it all, and then some more.
You curse a lot, you learn new 'gaalis' everyday. You also laugh a lot when your little hacks work. You are so used to criticism that you end up developing a thick skin in your personal life as well. And, some of us turn philosophical too.
