Advice for Entrepreneurs from Entrepreneurs

We had such a great night at the QueerTech / Gradient Spaces event last week at the Highline Beta headquarters.

Moderated by Alex Baccellieri , Executive Director of QueerTech / Gradient Spaces , panelists, Celia Lopez from Placemade.co , Andy Bandyopadhyay, PhD, CUDE from Attune , and Gavin Armstrong (he/him) from Lucky Iron Life engaged in a discussion about different challenges and obstacles entrepreneurs might encounter. ?

A common theme that led their entrepreneurial journeys: prior to starting their ventures, they each experienced a problem that they sought to solve through their business.

Starting your own business is exciting, however, it comes with its hurdles. The main challenges these entrepreneurs have encountered are below:

Pressure through hiring staff. When hiring staff, not only does your livelihood depend on your business being successful, but others’ does as well. A way to mitigate this issue is by ensuring that all hirees truly share the vision and passion for making the venture a success.

Figuring our profit model. Figuring out how to ensure profitability can be a complex puzzle to solve. To deal with this, get creative. No idea is a bad one and it can take time to find the right answer. Bounce ideas off your colleagues and friends.

Rejections from investors. Rejection is plentiful before you find an investor who is willing to take a chance on you. The key here is to remind yourself why you’re doing what you set out to do and stay driven! Focus on what makes your company unique from the rest and really leverage that point of difference.

The discussion concluded with the panelists sharing valuable pieces of advice:

Don't let uncertainty hold you back: You never know unless you try, so take the leap and pursue your entrepreneurial dreams.

Embrace humility and seek assistance when needed: Checking your ego and knowing when to ask for help can make a significant difference in your journey.

Stay true to your values: Your values are the guiding principles that will shape your business and set it apart from the rest.