The secret of staying focused as an startup entrepreneur

List of 10 Strategies to Building Focus & Achieve Success

Focusing is saying NO to lots of things.?

It’s very hard for early stage entrepreneurs to choose one big thing and execute it relentlessly. It means that entrepreneurs become selective, put the blinkers on.?

1/ Keep your eye on the prize. An inch toward the bigger goal can actually be a massive step forward.?

2/ Try to ask yourself the question of nine. Will this matter in nine minutes, nine hours, nine days, nine weeks, nine months or nine years? Focus on things that truly matters.

Inch wide; mile deep.

The inch wide mile deep strategy is all about finding your niche, that one focus area that is going to yield the best results for you and your business.

3/ The best way to focus is to question everything, stay ahead of things and understand change.

4/ Opportunities are everywhere, and it's so easy to become unfocused chasing opportunities, because they're a dime a dozen. Say NO

To scale; less is more.

Focus is necessary if we want to do our best, if we want to be at our best. Building a focused startup takes a rare discipline from entrepreneurs.?

5/ Do not make your email inbox as your to do list. List your priorities and first focus on to do list then inbox, followed by social media.

6/ Pick something that you want to think about, and only think about that. Don't let anything else enter your thoughts.?

Prioritise depth over breadth.

Entrepreneurs do not get caught up in the thrill of building new revenue models, new products, possible new customer segments which makes you lose sight of the main goal and spread yourselves too thin.

7/ When you do only one thing and not a million things; it cuts down on the noise. So divide your day into discrete sections. Compartmentalise work.

8/ Carving out time away from devices and screens can be extremely beneficial to focusing.

Focus is more important than genius.

Do not try and solve all the problems in the world. It looks commendable on paper but is an erroneous goal to chase, especially for seed stage startups.

9/ Think to yourself what are the few things you can do today that will generate the most value for your startup idea. Learn to identify task which are critical and focus on the same.

10/ Pick one problem worth solving, build one business model to distribute the product or service & generate revenues.

Whatever you do, do it intensely

If the startup idea isn't mission driven or emotionally resonant to the entrepreneur, it will be very hard to maintain passion and focus over a long period of time, which is critical in entrepreneurship.

Always remember, your focus determines your reality

About 100X.VC

100X is a first cheque SEBI registered fund which invests in early-stage Indian startups.

Investment Process

https://www.100x.vc/class08 - Apply here for Class 08

Fill up the application form here. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If there is an interest to evaluate further, founders will hear from 100X on the next steps of information collection in 7–10 working days. Once complete information is available to the investment committee, the selected startups will be invited for an interview. On success in the interview, the investment committee will email a term sheet offer for 1.25 Cr for 15% of future equity ownership using iSAFE notes. On completion of legal compliance and due diligence and signing of iSAFE notes, money will be immediately wired into the startup bank account. The estimated time from Term sheet to Deal Closure is 2 weeks once the due diligence documents are submitted and the Indian entity is incorporated.

What Happens in Class 08?

The 100X team starts working closely with the founding team on various aspects of the business, from product improvement to business model to pricing to financial modelling and even hiring key team and addressing various gaps in mutual consultation with the founders.

100X Works with Founders in 3 broad manners:

Mentoring Unlimited?- The founders get enrolled in exclusive masterclasses with the 100X Team and 50+ mentors. The Mentors are Founders, Operators, and Investors who have been there, and done that.

Network Access?- Founders are given open access to 100X’s Business Network of Advisors, Mentors, Corporates, CXOs, 100X Alumni Founders, and more. Each connection compounds the value of the startup.

VC Pitch Day?- It is an invite-only showcase of the Class 08 startups to a curated set of investors. The founders can build their next round of funding here. The event is attended by all the top Angels, Family Offices, Micro VCs, Corporate Funds and VC funds of India.

https://www.100x.vc/class08 - Apply here for Class 08