Oh the Startups That Go
Possibilities are open and with the right mindset, fortitude, guidance, and a community of support, the horizon is yours. As Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote, “oh the places you’ll go!”
Future successes are built on the lessons and obstacles of the past, it’s time to gather ’round the fire for a story about startups.
Congratulations!
Today is your day
You’re starting a startup
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have new business shoes. You’ll be your own boss. You have nothing to lose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the founder who decides how to grow...
You’ll talk to advisors. Meet investors out there. About some you will say, “they don’t get it, that blank stare.” With your head full of brains and your butt in your seat. You’re too smart to go down, you can’t fail on your feet.
And you may not want help. You’ll still fight going down. In that case, just know, most will give you a frown.
There’s helpers out there, in the startup scene and on air.
Out there things will happen, and frequently do, to people who try and start something like you.
And when those things happen, don’t worry, don’t stew, just keep right on going knowing you must pivot to do.
You’ll get that site up! You’ll be patenting rights! You’ll join startup communities and stay up through the nights.
You can’t lag behind, get live with most speed. You must beat the gang or they’ll take the lead. But if you just try, you can be the best; if you work together, you can top the rest.
Except when you don’t. And most of you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true; as sole founder, we’re certain will happen to you.
You will get hung up on a funding pitch. And as advice rambles on you’ll feel stuck in a ditch.
And to then dig from that ditch with loads of advice the chances are then, that you’ll smack someone twice.
When working a startup, it’s different work fun. Un-startuping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to ideas where outcomes aren’t known. Some decisions are tougher. Some will help you be grown. A time you could strain both your eyelids and brain! Do you dare to give up? Do you dare to stay in? How much can you lose? This is work where few win!
And if you stay in, should you do this or that…. Or turn right-and-three-quarters? This is your at bat, or perhaps go around try again from behind. Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for an entrepreneur-mind-maker to make up their mind.
You will get confused and your ideas will race down all the wrong paths at a back-breaking pace. And grind on your startup in your industry space, headed in the wrong way, toward …
The Funding Place…
… there, investors are waiting, waiting for a startup to go
Or a pitch to come, or a plan to go.
Or a sale to close, or your demo to show
Or traction to be there, and validation to know
You’re waiting around for their Yes or No
They’re waiting for results to show
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Everyone is needing
Needing for customers to bite
Or needing for competitors to fight
Or needing to know you’ll work all Friday night
Or waiting, perhaps, for your Uncle Jake
To Family invest and give you a break
Or needing some metrics that prove your chance
Or evidence you’ve put on the big boy pants
Everyone is needing.
No! That’s wrong for you!
Somehow you’ll make it, all the ideas advising; you’ll find the right answers from patience and trying.
With your website now up attention will fly. Then you’re ready for anything, ready to give it that try.
Oh, the startups that go. There is work to be done. There are investors to score. There are demos to get done. And the magical things you can do with your startup; will put people to work as your business gets go up! Relief. You’ll have a company to see and the whole world is watching for you to succeed.
Except when you don’t. Because mostly you won’t.
I’m afraid to inform you you’ll be lonely there too. Since you usually can’t win, it seems all against you.
Founding Alone! Whether you like it or not, alone will be something you’ll experience a lot.
And when you’re founding alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that pull you from your circumstance. Somewhere down the road between startup and company, there are some things that will discourage you (actually many).
But on you must go, though trials push you to fail
On you must go, though others seem sail
On you must go, though detractors will wail
Onward with every repetitive startup pitch
Though your keyboard gets sore and new ideas will itch.
On and on endeavor and your startup will go far. You’ll tackle the problems, whatever they are.
You’ll fail every day as you certainly should know. You’ll get misled with strange customers that go. So be sure when you startup, step with tests and pivots, that entrepreneurship’s of noble intents.
Just never forget to be fluid and flow and keep to your mission, as you startup and grow.
And will you succeed? Yes! You might, yes indeed (1 to 5 percent near certain guaranteed)
Founders move mountains!
So…
Though you are Lean, Agile, or Combatant, or Product, Marketing, Dev with a Patent, you’re in to the races, today’s a new day! Your paycheck is waiting when startup goes your way.
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