Let’s give it a shot, what’s the worst, I will fall or fail

Yes, another post with a bike in it, but why not? The Road Ahead is a part of all my adventures in life, right? A month ago, I wrote about how scared I was to even ride the bike, and yesterday I rode for 5 hours to Tijara Fort and back. Not only did I ride, but I also made sure a bunch of newbies were okay, and I was grumbling in my head that they wouldn't accelerate beyond 60 kmph. I switched roles and was the seasoned rider until I reached the Tijara slope. Then I stood with them, heart palpitating, wondering how I would reach the top with a crazy incline. I reached the top with a fall on the way, but I debated whether I should leave the bike at the bottom and walk up multiple times.

No, this isn't another biking story. It was just something that made me reflect and think about my startup journey. At every stage of my biking journey, I thought I couldn't do it, and then I just said, "Let's give it a shot, what's the worst, I'll fall." My entrepreneurial journey isn't that different.

I was the green entrepreneur two years ago, making Excel sheets with budgets saying, "I will survive" with a model that didn't even exist. I had a startup and a product that I tested and then I pivoted for the next year. There were points where I knew the idea wasn't working and we had to scrap and start again. Each of those pivots made me re-evaluate my decision as an entrepreneur, and there were multiple times when I told myself, let's pack our bags and open a library cafe in the hills, but I'm one of those who doesn't run away from a fight, so I kept going.

I'm finally at a point where we have a platform design with an app in the stores. Now I'm at the juncture where all new entrepreneurs stand, looking for a product-market fit. I am looking to see if my hypothesis is right and whether people will use the app. Will they re-engage how I envisioned? Will we make revenue with it and create value for the non-profits? Will I get the funding to do all of this?

All of these look like huge hills or mountains to climb. Some of these, especially the fundraising ones, make me get up in the middle of the night and have palpitations. I really question myself at times and say, is it worth it? Just like I did when we took a detour and were off-roading alone at sunrise through the fields, having left the group behind. Then we saw a giant sun in our faces (Forgot to take the sun, just took us in the photo) and realized, this was all totally worth it.

I'm not sure when I'm going to see that sun or the big check or great feedback from kids in schools/colleges with re-engagement, but I know there's a path ahead. I might have to take detours and pivot to find the best path forward, but I know I need to keep going and reach the top of the hill. Yes, I know it's not going to be easy, but well, "Let's give it a shot, what's the worst, I'll fail."

So, like I tell the newbie bikers or budding entrepreneurs, the worst-case scenario is you'll fall or fail. You can always brush the dust off and try again. You'll only gain respect for yourself and your work as you move ahead, so keep riding and let's V-All.