Entrepreneurship is not Cool ??. It is DARK ??.

When people ask me what I do, my final answer is often, ‘I do my own things.’

“oh, you are an entrepreneur. That’s so cool.”

I want to come forward to tell you that entrepreneurship is not cool, it is actually dark! Don’t get me wrong, my current situation is great. I have above-average control over my time and can make a comfortable living while doing things I find enjoyable. Yes, I don’t have working hours even though I work more than average.

With that, I have to acknowledge my reality. I am one of the lucky ones. For many, this path is an endless darkness. If you are considering being an ‘entrepreneur,’ let me give you some heads up.

1-?Possibilities are you’ll make less money than in a full-time job.

If you are in looking for money, ?you might reconsider your move. For some reason, we love hearing about ultra-successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Mr. Beasts, and the like. Yes, anyone can be as successful. However, statistically, you and I will most likely not. You might be able to make good money doing entrepreneurship. However, in the long run, you’ll more likely be able to make more money working regular jobs.

2-?Failure will be your norm, which might not be pleasant!

You have probably heard that a lot. The talk about how we should encourage and embrace failure. Just to let you know, it is much easier said than done. It is also easy to say that when we live comfortably with a stable income. In that case, failure will not have many risks. If you are a small entrepreneur, that luxury is not yours.

To you, failure could mean skipping plans in your personal life, letting your family down, firing people in your small team that you grew to love, going out of business altogether, and being broke. If you are part of a society that does not normalize failure, you will also lose face. This is all to name a few.

3-?Depression and other mental issues will be looming around you.

Aside from the often-projected rosy lifestyle, entrepreneurs face higher chances than the average of facing depression and other mental issues, at least compared to the general population. A Forbs article claims that entrepreneurs are twice as likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to have ADHD, three times more likely to struggle with addiction, and 11 times more likely to receive a bipolar diagnosis. With the two points I mentioned above, it is no surprise.

I am not trying to discourage you from pursuing your entrepreneurial venture. However, I hope to give you a heads-up on the darkness you might dip into. Before you go there, be very calculative of your risks. Assume you’ll fail, assume you’ll lose whatever money and time you put in. When everything goes down, make sure you’ll be able to survive both mentally and financially. ??

Also, let us stop glorifying entrepreneurs. Being an entrepreneur is as great as all the other jobs out there. Also, let us normalize switching back and forth between entrepreneurship and regular jobs. In fact, after living on my own for four years, I am open to job opportunities that can be exciting and fulfilling.?

Are you an entrepreneur? What is your story? What are other stories you heard of?