"I failed. I failed terribly. However, I learned!". An entrepreneur-like mindset.

I wanted to become an entrepreneur so badly, and I failed. 

It was the year 2010; a close friend had just met a scientist who had developed some game-changing technology (it offered a sound solution to an existent problem), and they needed a third person to complete a company founding team. Long story short, life circumstances left me working alone with the scientist to build up the startup. 

I had some experience supporting other founders in their entrepreneurial adventures but never being the one running the entire show. With zero guidance I only had a vague idea about how to start a company and a strong desire to have something of my own. I took the bull by the horns. I spent countless hours trying to make sense of the opportunity, did much research to back up our business hypothesis, and built from the ground up a business plan with a financial model and a plan to get investors on board. I even had an extensive list of potential investors. I felt quite confident; success was in the making! So, off I went hunting for the big dollars (well, it was pesos back then). I was extremely excited, but little did I know about the challenges of being an entrepreneur. 

I knocked many doors, pitched the business proposal to a good number of contacts (those who accepted listening), sent tons of e-mails, requested countless meetings, travelled far from my hometown to visit critical potential investors (CEOs and Presidents of Transnational Corporations). After many months of hard work, and an impressive number of rejections I finally found the one investor who was willing to put some money into this. "YES! We did it!" I thought while an enormous dose of dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin rushed from my feet to my head passing through my chest. We started negotiations, we advanced to an agreement - or so I thought- and finally, the moment to sign our first investment had arrived. I was extremely thrilled. Then everything fell apart. We failed. And failed loudly. Second to worst feeling ever! How so? I have a vast number of explanations which I will tell you about on another occasion. 

Yes, I failed. And I failed loudly. However, I learned! Then I moved forward.

What was the experience of being an entrepreneur like? All along the way, my heart, mind, and soul rode a rollercoaster of emotions, from excitement and self-confidence to discouragement and uncertainty over and over again. "Why are you doing this? Why don't you do something else instead?" I could clearly and loudly hear this coming not only from other people but from within myself. 

You must be thinking "looking back, would you do it again?". Indeed! Yes, I failed. And I failed terribly. However, I learned, and then I moved forward to my next professional adventure. 

I moved to Montreal in 2015 looking for new horizons. Life, so-to-speak, led me here, a city where the entrepreneur vibe floats in the air. This mindset is the oxygen I breathe in and out every single day. Am I embarking myself again on the journey of entrepreneurship? Not really. Right now is not the time to do it. However, I enjoy being influenced by people with "the mindset." Perhaps in the future? Can we tell what the future holds? I cannot. 

Becoming an entrepreneur is not as easy as "dipping a tortilla into a hot sauce," reads a Mexican saying. But it is not an impossible task either. Back in 2010, I did not know about parcours, entrepreneurship programs, incubators, accelerators, etc. Now I know they exist and that taking advantage of this sort of support increases your probabilities of success. 

As of now, I enjoy playing my part to keep building the next generation of entrepreneurs. The experience I lived allows me to understand many entrepreneurs I meet on a daily basis. I have empathy when I hear their personal stories. Therefore I will do everything I can do from my trench to contribute to their success. 

Experience and education are not enough; success also requires guidance. Gladly, mindset and skills are acquirable.