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Uncertainty and everyday blues in the startup !

By Gunjan Kejriwal on 59 Comments / 5400 views

Hi !

By the end of this month i shall have completed 5 months of quitting my job and getting into entrepreneurship full time. Initially , for the first two months we were just trying to figure out what to do and how to do. Yes ! i had quit without a plan because every cell in my body knew i wanted to do my own thing. I had a few good ideas and always believed that i would execute one of them ! I had wanted to do my own thing since i was in college and was also associated with a start up part time for about 2 yrs.

However it took us another 2 months almost to start executing. Today we are working on building an app that we feel is going to change how people behave in that domain. We have faith in the idea ! We haven’t thought about any revenue model around the app. The reason for this is to first explore the possibilities and then decide. We also feel that delighting the users with the value of our app would soon open up many many possibilities for monetization. I remember Alok Sir pointing out once w.r.t Instagram that Users are your real currency today. I believe in that completely !

However , one of the biggest challenges that i face every single day is understanding whether we are on the right track or not. We are bootstrapped with limited funds. We are building something that does not have an immediate revenue model.

Every single day, one event makes me feel i am ready to conquer the world and the next moment I feel we are back to square one. And this happens a few times every day.

At times like these , I wonder , is it normal ? or if i am the only fool going through these emotions or there are people too ? 

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59 Comments

  1. Gunjan my friend, you’re not alone.. 🙂 I can tell from a little experience, and on behalf of other Startup Entrepreneur, that every single day is a mission in itself..

    There are days at my Startup, where even after 1.5 years of Toil and Hard work, I still sometimes find myself at Square Zero.. 😀

  2. it happens , Shit Happens , Just dont forget y you have left your job , be passionate about your idea , but dont be blind and dont invest your all money in early have some buffer of money , cut your expense (specially personal ones ) and we are indian and we are expert in one thing which is finding jugad . Do that ,! !

  3. a heartfelt thank you and a hug if i could 🙂

  4. well the vision is intact , the passion too ! just wanted to clarify that whether that sense of no direction was actually the direction  😛

    thank u soo much Nitish !

  5. Gunjan, firstly congratulate yourself for “choosing” to be an entrepreneur. You have raised a few points applicable to almost all entrepreneurs:

    1) Leaving jobs for entrepreneurship but don’t know what is next.
    2) Doing nothing for a few months just to figure out what to do.
    3) Having faith in your idea and thinking that it can change the way people behave.
    4) Build a product and then think about the revenue model.
    5) Bootstrapped with limited funds.
    6) Feeling high at one moment and feeling low at the very next.

    All entrepreneurs go through it. And I believe this is NORMAL. Let me share my story.

    I had left a very high paying job (as a fresher) at TCS (Part 1 of Point 1 above). Unlike many entrepreneurs, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to develop mobile apps. I developed a very basic Java app, back in 2011. It was a pain in the ass to arrange for money as I no longer had job and I had given my savings to my dad and didn’t want to ask for money from my dad (point 5 above). It got me featured in newspapers and websites. No REVENUE yet. A very old friend called me up (we haven’t had any contacts for about 3 years as he was in the US back then). My status on Gmail made him call me and he asked for collaboration for Android and iPhone apps. I agreed. No revenue yet. We launched amazing Android and iPhone apps and were the first of its kind app in our domain. No revenue yet. We started getting good downloads and again got featured in one of the best newspapers in India, The Hindu. No revenue yet. We partnered with a few people for content in our app. The app started doing well and is now a finalist at mBillionth Award 2013. We are in talks with a few partners for revenue generation (point 4 above). And hopefully it will start NOW. The app is CATapp. Getting featured at so many places really made us work even harder but what revenue model to keep made us low sometimes (point 6 above). We never lost hopes and still LOVE our product and know that no one has yet made a better app in this domain (point 3 above). 

    I do many a things to make money so that my little startup of mobile apps takes the shape I want it to take. I have made 3 mobile apps as of date and now I’m working on 2 games. When I’m not building mobile apps, I’m writing short stories on my blog and on therodinhoods.wpengine.com.

    Lastly, you get to know whether or not you are on the right track, ONLY if you are on the track. Go there and figure it out. I’m sure there are many ways out there, one/some of it will take you to the right track.

    All the best 🙂

  6. Hi Ashish !

    this post is no less inspiring to me than any other entrepreneur who has made a million dollar company. These little stories keep encouraging people like us !

    heartfelt thanks again !

  7. Dear Gunjan,

    The fun thing is that you never know whether you’re on the right track or not.
    It is living life in small moments and the bigger picture at the same time.

    You’re On A Trek

    Imagine you’re on a trek. Keep looking at the peak every now and then. Are you nearer to it then you were before? If yes, keep focusing on the path, or make one that seems right. If the peak seems farther that it was before, realize which was the wrong turn and undo it. Ensure your team stays together, ensure all of them want the peak. Ensure each one of you wants to share the load while making your way to the top by sharing food and water among yourselves equally. The peak is the BIG PICTURE and your immediate path stands for the everyday challenges. Roadblock? Find a way. Thirsty? Find a stream. Leopard in your way? Knock it out (killing is cruel). One team member behaving like a douche? Show him the way down. Douche villager who is rude while showing the way? Still be polite (burn no bridges).

    Losing steam? Look at the peak again! Breathe the friggin’ mountain air! Look at your strong legs, look at the clouds, look at the innocent birds chirping happily all around you- the world loves you. You love yourself. And you’re so strong that you’ve made it so far. You chose the mountain. You chose your team. You chose the path- built it, I’d say. You’ve settled in your niche, you know your purpose, you know where you’re headed. LOOK AT THE PEAK! And it will all make sense.

    Uncertainty is Natural

    Because no one is driving your life but you. You never know that you’re on the right track till the short term goals get fulfilled. Set milestones, they help you know that you’re on the right track. Product reached a certain stage? Good. People/Mentors appreciate the progress? Good. Team still motivated enough? Good. You figure out how you’ll make money? Good.

    Believe

    Understand the reason why you feel you’re back at Square One. Is it the progress at the project? Is it lack of team cohesion? Is it lack of financial security? If yes, then get things in order. List them, sort them out. Make sure the startup grows slowly but steadily. Is it purely emotional? Speak about it to your family, your better half. Feel loved.

    The First Year Is Often Slow

    It always is, because you’re out in the cold, trying to build something and making tonnes of mistakes. But you learn so darn much then, that helps you accelerate in the next year and after that. So don’t worry that you’re taking time, you’re learning in the process. But DO NOT get complacent and DO NOT take things as they come. You might need to initiate and lead and create and execute.

    Where Is This Coming From?

    From numerous conversations I’ve had with fellow business people, my own experience (2 years out in the cold till date), a number of blogs online and wonderful books I’ve read. You’re not alone, but you gotta do what you gotta do 🙂

    Kick ass, mate. Best wishes. 

  8. goosebumps !! thank you so much..Shushrut !

  9. Always there 🙂 All of us.

  10. By the way , it took some courage for me to write about genuine problems. People usually boast of problems they face when they are successful. It is unheard of speaking about your problems like these on open forums. As Alok Sir , usually says failures are a big stigma ! whereas, failures need to be celebrated !

  11. 🙂 🙂 🙂

  12. Hey Gunjan,

    Everyone has got problems but what matter is what attitude we have towards those problems. If you hold a handkerchief on your head it’s not a problem for the first minute by the second minute you start to feel a little uneasy by the third minute you are trying to take your mind off the pain in your shoulders and arms in order to keep holding it by the fourth minute you are only thinking about the handkerchief in your hand and lose sight of everything else and ultimately give up in the fifth minute. You need to keep the problem in front of rather than on your head so that you get a better view of it and solve it quickly.

    Currently even I am bootstrapping, my partner left for ‘MBA’, money is tighter since I left Job almost a year back, I am commerce graduate so no programming gyaan, started to learn programming. etc. But sometimes you get the greatest ideas when you don’t have money or when you have to put in lot of your own money, a similar thing happened to me when I was trying to figure out the lowest capital intensive execution of my idea for my startup even if it meant starting really really small. I figured that out and started working on it.

    Motivation is like food you need it everyday!! 🙂 Best of luck!

    Regards,
    Ankit Sawant
    http://www.projectbazinga.in

  13. Thank you so much Ankit ! words like these mean a lot…

  14. Gunjan, first of all congrats on taking the plunge into the ocean  of entrepreneurship.you are already a champ 🙂

    I still havent  taken the plunge yet and m still thinking of leaving my job and m daily in this dilemma that  what will happen when I leave the job what if my idea doesnt work etc etc.But you have done what I am still thinking ,your story gives me the courage to leave my cushy corporate job and take plunge into the ocean and experience the thrill as well as the darkness of the depth.

  15. thank you Pavan !

  16. Hi Gunjan,

    Welcome to the club buddy. It’s absolutely natural and you’re definitely not alone. I think Sushrut has put it beautifully.

    One thing that has helped me in overcoming these blues is that I have started living in the present. It’s good to have a great vision but execution can only be done in the present. So don’t worry about whether you’re on the right track or not. Nobody can predict the future. Think about what’s in your control today. For example, building a basic product to test the market or talking to a prospective user is in your control today.

    Good luck.   

  17. Hi Ankit ! yes Sushrut has put it beautifully. 

    thanks for writing …means a lot !!

  18. Hi Gunjan,  

    Entrepreneurship , anxiety , uncertainty , come as a Package Deal.  so get comfi with it. right now its abt money , and survival , soon it will be about growth and expansion , and then about Series A, B funding etc. 

    Good that you shared this here, as you must have realized that you would have figured out a  few things  while typing itself .  Or you at-least you felt better. …d u dunno why but u fell better. 

    Each one from this lil community will share their bits of wisdom , pick and choose which is suitable to you. I seriously am not a big fan of risk it all philosophy , I belong to a middle class family and need to give something back home  , else no matter how great my idea, untill its giving me bread its not taking  my time.

    Obvsly thats me  and not suggesting that you chicken out of this situation, neither do I suggest do something that will make you money , even though you are least bit interested. What im leaning towards is that in such times, only true passion will help you stride. So ask the question ”why ” multiple times , because without Money and and / or  true passion , these situations are a bitch . I think @Vijay Khubchandani  will have a decent story to tell on trying different things till you find it interesting.  😉 

    What I suggested is a bit from my own experience at theskinmantra.com and some other people who I thought have  made it, but realized that we are in the same ship , just different levels.  🙂 

  19. thank yu Akash for writing..

    writing this post just made my day. especially to see the amount of positive energy flowing once u seek for it from the likes of the fellow members of the community..

    thanks again 🙂

  20. Gunjan, I really have nothing great/more/useful to write after & more than what awesome rodinhooders have told you. You can’t better emotional support than this, but here are some points from purely business perspective:

    – Preserve cash – there is no substitute for this. Spend as if you have the last bottle of water and you are marooned in a desert!

    – If you are running out of cash – take-up some freelance/consulting/part-time assignments which can keep the fire burning without too much distraction from you goal

    – Do a reality check every now and then about – product-market fit. Is your product still as relevant as it was when you first thought of it? Market realities change and you got to look at it dispassionately. Because your customers (even if it is free!) wouldn’t buy/download something just because you made it, they would do it only because it solves a ‘big enough’ problem

    – Release your product fast (MVP) – even if it is a subset of what you dreamt of – take it to customer, get their feedback- prioritise & develop further – release new version – go back to customer again, take feedback – develop further…basically iterate. Faster you get into this iteration cycle, and shorter your iteration cycle is – better are the chances of success

    – How do you know you are on right path? look at how your potential customers react to the product – that tells you everything and hence the need to talk/show to them faster.

    Don’t forget to shamelessly reach to anyone & everyone who could help. I am available and so are so many others out here.

    All the best!

  21. Welcome to the World of “Startup Keeda” Play with it and Have fun with it !! And Finally Be in Love with IT !!

    <3 🙂

  22. you guys have made this day one of the best days of my life ever..grateful !!

    thank you soo much :))

  23. :))

    yes have faith , have fun !

  24. I think The amount of reply and that too in detail you are getting , you must have understood that if you want to start a business then it is like a skydiving , you have to believe that your parachute (your idea , business ) will open and you will land safely and have great fun doing that .

  25. today was a great exapmle of it in many ways..thanks a lot 🙂

  26. Dear Gunjan,

    I left a well paying and settled job with a MNC bank like you almost around 1.75 yrs back. I had a very good plan and a team of 3 other co-founder with me. I am also going thru the same phase till today.

    I can’t sleep for the whole night waiting for the day, when day comes, almost same things are repeated. In last 1.75 yrs i never regretted the decision to quit the job. However many times I feel why the plan hasn’t worked out. It was very beautiful on the paper.

    However with time new plans evolved, new ways to execute the existing plans came in. Till the time we implement our ideas, we can’t know will it work in the way we thought ? 

    Implement, learn, correct, implement….In this process control emotions…

    All the best ! The blues will be over soon and a new day with full of success will embrace you !

  27. I just want to say one thing. Though i am not enough qualified to say anything. But be fearless. Follow the nature(Intuition)

    And be detached. You are not your company, all you are doing is for internal satisfaction and happiness.

    Good Luck

  28. thank u so much Ashish !

    and i really wish the best to u too 🙂

  29. thanks Prashant ! :))

  30. Shushrut..!  Printed this comment.. and filed it..  Thanks for sharing..

  31. I’m honored Semil, thank you! 🙂

  32. This is some real awesome experience talking.
    One reason why grey hair is so valuable 🙂
    Thank you, Kanchan!

  33. Gunjan bhai… lagey raho!

    The longer you wait and stick on…the sweeter will be your reward.

    Best wishes for the normal Entrepreneurial life that you are living.

    😉

  34. THNK YU OMI bhai !!!

  35. I think I can understand what you are going through. As a Consulting Chartered Accountant, I have held hands with quite a few startups/ entrepreneurs and have seen so many of them going through these ups and downs. Of course at the end of the day, the first customer, first payment, first funding, first breakeven… take your pick… makes all this and more worth while.

    Cheers and have fun with whatever you are doing, and PERSEVERE.

    N K Sherman

  36. Hey NK !

    THANKS A LOT 🙂

  37. Uncertainty is a part of being an entrepreneur. Just give it time and don’t give up. I can say this from experience as I also have a new company. Every day is a new challenge. At times there are disappointments but then there are days with beautiful surprises. A large part of the success depends on the enthusiasm of the entrepreneur which I know is not easy to maintain. There will be days of disappointments but keep the enthusiasm going!!

  38. Hey Sanjana ! thank you for the kind words. i know how well you relate to it.

    thanks 🙂

  39. I sailed (and still sail) in the same boat 🙂

    And thats why I was and am still wondering how we can improve the probability of success of a startup.. here are some ideas I have put up

    https://www.therodinhoods.com/forum/topics/increasing-the-probability-of-startup-success

  40. this was nice !!

  41. Dear Gunjan

    Great to hear that you have taken the path that you feel will become your ultimate destination.

    I just want to share you one piece of advice what my late father gave me on new venture. He would always tell when you start a new business always take care of it like we do of a just born baby. He will not speak anything, only we will have to realize the problems and find a solution for it. Just like we pamper him and dont get irritated with whatever he does the same way do not get upset at initial hiccups. Once you start understanding his language you will be able to know more of him. And as time passes he will start standing on his feet and run. Likewise your initial hardwork will pay off in your new venture and will run smoothly once you overcome your initial hurdles.  

    My best wishes for you.

  42. hi all,

    just a quick note to tell you that gunjan just met me over coffee an hour ago!!!

    he is an amazingly positive person. he’s passionate about his ideas. he has clarity. and i’m so very happy we met – coz it gives me the pulse of what every young rodinhooder is like…!!

    am so happy that gunjan wrote this on a day he was really messed up. just proves that all of us go through ups and downs but after the slightest encouragement, we pick ourselves up and are as good as new!!!

  43. so the first idea is on it’s way ! check out the logo and share ur feedback !

  44. I’m sorry for this frank feedback but couldn’t hold myself back.

    • If the name is ‘Roomys’, it’d be best to have your website with the same name too. Or you can rename the brand as ‘The Roomys’.

    • It is recommended to have consistent branding. ‘Roomys’ on Facebook Cover Page should be the same as ‘Roomys’ on website.

    Best,

  45. Thanks Sushrut !

    I appreciqate ur feedback. this is what i was looking for  ! as u mentioned. we are trying to get the domain Roomys.

  46. roomys.in is available. Book it. Fast!

    Cheers,

  47. done !

  48. these last 4 comments brought a huge smile to my face! 

    keep rocking! 

    gunjan pls work on the logo as well as per akshay chhugani’s feedback.

    all the best!

  49. this is the power of trhs…constructive feedback…il look into all of tht !! :))))))

  50. Gunjan- I am inspired by your “Never Say Die” attitude, just get the Pitch deck right & I am sure rest would follow….

  51. I hear you – have just started on this journey myself ( this is my 1st week of independence after college in 1993 ) and wow it sure is a challenge when there is no one to bounce off your thoughts with. 

    Its not my first startup – its my 5th but all others were for some seriously large marquee cos where all resources – from an IT guy to help configure the laptop to a lawyer were available  at the drop of a hat. Grey areas were there too but in my experience ,they quickly become B&W once you move ahead.  But for sure, none of them were 100% of what the day one PPT had thought they wold be – there were changes and some more.

    So nett nett mostly it is about moving ahead anyways and things sometimes do fall into place – perhaps not in the way you initially thought but something which creates genuine value . 

    This btw is my first post – have been lurking around  for a while now , reading, understanding and trying to make sense of the world outside a Corporate setup – and wow its biiig world !  

     

  52. gunjan – i was going through our archives and came across this – you really need write about how well your ROOMYS journey is shaping up!!

  53. This is just a perfect post to get a dose of motivation. I had written a new discussion regarding loneliness etc. Currently I have quit my job without a plan as well. But I know I want to be on my own.  

    The lack of any support (family, friends etc.) is being missed as I am doing something different from the rest of folks we know. But this post, THIS post AND ALL THE COMMENTS gave me all the motivation needed. 

    Thank you, thank you!!

  54. Asha ! yes i so need to share it !

  55. Hey Ajay !

    First of all congratulation for having the guts to take the plunge ! In my honest opinion , that’s the most difficult part and the most important stage of the rocket science of entrepreneurship  ( which i feel is not really rocket science) . Ajay , just to give you a little insight i started all alone and without a team and no money. Today Roomys ( http://www.roomys.in ) is poised at doing something extraordinary and creating a lot of value. And you know what , i have done nothing special . The only thing that i think i have done well here is PERSISTED. And what i mean by persisted is when a VC split me apart for an hour explaining how stupid what i was doing is , i came back and just thought about all the true negatives i got from that meeting and tried my best to nullify them. That’s it man ! Just stick to it.  This is a good way to lead ur life. The learnings and take aways that i have had in this one year or so is better than a combined education of so many years. I mean , damn …i wouldn’t trade all this for anything !

    All the best to you mate in ur endeavors. As the vikings say , “May the winds be behind your sails “.. Go for it !

  56. Gunjan, 

    Thank you for the kind wishes. As you said it, persistence is a deciding factor. 

    Rocket science of entrepreneurship? I think even taking the plunge requires a level of craziness (apparently that is what people think I am, crazy) 

    My family has been asking me, “beta, tu kya karega? logic kya hai? plan kya hai?”

    Suddenly, I feel like the entire spotlight is on me as if I am doing something illegal or harmful. 

    But as soon as I am on therodinhoods.wpengine.com, I feel alive and in high spirits. Sort of like a medication. 

    thank you for sharing your story. 

    Wishing you stay in high spirits, 

    Ajay

  57. Feeling same every hour

  58. Thanks Ajay !

    You are doing all the right things then i guess ! all the best ! 🙂

  59. Everybody does..even i do SSandeep ! only thing that has changed is now i am okay and comfortable with uncertainties !

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