Entrepreneurship is a Dive.. No, A Skydive!!

At the outset, I want to convey that I am NOT an entrepreneur and have never started or operated a business venture. 

Yesterday, I did something I have wanted to do for a long time now – SKYDIVE!!! By far the craziest and the most exhilarating thing I have ever done, an adrenaline rush that cannot be described in mere words.

Skydive in Dubai over the Palm Jumeirah – 05.02.2015

The whole experience of booking the dive, the exciting wait, the dive, the landing and the feeling after was very unique. Thinking about it afterwards, it somehow seemed a little similar to an entrepreneur’s journey.

1. Research

First I started off researching about Skydiving. Not too much but enough for me to consider it seriously. Then I decided to find out more about SkyDive Dubai (I live in Dubai, hence). Studied the entire website & saw that if I can manage the finances, got excited. Watched videos & reviews of people who succeeded in doing it, got really really excited. The bug had bitten, now I definitely had to do it.

This is similar to what happens to most people who are looking to start a business. You research, get excited. Your research tells that you can manage the monies, you get excited. You read about. You read the “Rags to Riches” success stories of famous entrepreneurs, get really really excited.

2. Booking the Skydive

In many ways booking the Skydive is pretty similar to quitting your corporate job & starting off a business. How? This is the point of no return, the booking amount is not refundable, the job is gone and now you have committed yourself a 100% to doing it.

The things I heard when I told my friends I am going to be doing it (on a serious note), I heard the below reactions:

“OMG you are really doing this”

“Isn’t it dangerous? What if something goes wrong and you don’t make it.”

“I don’t know how you have managed to muster the courage, I never can”

“You do it and let me know how it goes, then I will decide if I should do it”

“Why are you taking such a big risk!!!”

I am sure entrepreneurs can relate to these statements in some way or the other.

3. Waiting for the “D Day”

Now is the anxious wait for the day of the Skydive. As the day gets closer, the excitement levels get higher but so do the levels of nervousness. My nights got shorter with excitement, couldn’t sleep much and even when I did, I was either dreaming about it (seriously) or would wake up in the middle of the night in restlessness. These were the emotions leading upto the day- excitement, nervousness, anxiety and the realization that I am actually putting a lot on the line by Skydiving.

Am sure this is how entrepreneurs feel when they are waiting for the day the company becomes operations (a website is launched, a shop is opened, a service is started, etc.)

4. D Day

The day finally arrived. Excited as much as a fan going to watch the India-Pakistan game in the stadium in VVIP seats, I reached the venue well in advance. Mine was the first name on the day’s list since I registered first. But what followed was something I didn’t foresee or anticipate. The weather was bad, the winds were too strong for Skydiving and I was asked to wait till the conditions were ideal / ready for the jump.  In these circumstances, you either wait till the conditions are okay or you cancel and go back home to reschedule for the next available spot. 

Now suddenly all the excitement disappeared and various thoughts came to mind –

“I knew this could happen, why didn’t I prepare for it”

“I should have charged my phone 100% & carried a book / laptop”

I had to wait for 5 & half hours. Ate no food, was just praying that I could do this the same day. The excitement was back, the energy levels rose suddenly and I started getting ready. Actually what had happened is I just wasted 5 & half hours doing absolutely nothing. I couldn’t work, couldn’t enjoy and couldn’t leave.

Entrepreneurs often run into unforeseen & unanticipated situations (everyone does), often at some of the most crucial times. But what frustrates them is that they could have prepared better to face such a situation. Certain things are never in your hands, but certain things are! Every entrepreneur will agree with me when I say – PREPARE FOR THE WORST! You never know what might come your way.

5. The Training

Finally the announcement was made that we will get to jump. What follows is a few steps of paperwork and payment, followed by the Training session. It lasts just a few minutes and the Instructor told me about my positioning, posture and sequence of events and what all I need to do. No she did not tell me about what an emotional rollercoaster it would be, she did not tell me what an adrenaline rush I will have, she did not tell me that I will be sh*t scared…. Because I had to experience that myself.

Entrepreneurs take advice from experts, experienced people, family and friends. They can all tell you how to go about the journey (advice was appropriate or not is realized only later but that’s a different thing) but no one, absolutely no one, can tell you what an emotional rollercoaster it will be, what an adrenaline rush you will feel, that there will be moments where you will be extremely scared, etc. and you have to experience this yourself.

6. The Plane Ride

All suited up and ready to go, I was taken to the plane from which I was to jump. With the each step towards the plane, the heart beat faster and the excitement escalated. Moments later the plane took off. So much joy this short trip alone gave me. The view from the plane was absolutely fantastic as we were flying over the Palm Jumeirah. At this point I was already as happy as I could be. 

Entrepreneurs share tremendous joy when their business takes off. It’s the start of something special and something you know you will never forget.

7. That Moment

I was so happy at this time enjoying the views outside that I almost seemed to forget that the actually madness has not even begun. But I wasn’t there for the plane ride. The excitement and the experience needed to go to a much higher level.

And then “THE” moment arrived. The harness was tightened, all of a sudden I am at the edge of the plane exit and guess what, now I am sh*t scared. I am almost pushed out and trust me when I say that the feeling at this moment is not for the weak hearted.

I somehow draw this episode to be a parallel to Funding in an entrepreneur’s journey. You business is doing well and the plane is flying high. You are experiencing great views but then you need to scale your business, take it to a whole new level. You want the money and when you get the money, it’s actually not the beginning of a smooth ride. It’s the push off the plane exit door.

8. The Jump & the Adrenaline Rush

The next 2 minutes were the most memorable two minutes of my life – approximately one minute of free fall and one minute of parachuting to the ground. The feeling cannot be described in mere words; I have never experienced such an adrenaline rush (maybe cos I am not an entrepreneur yet J). I was flying (more like falling but that’s the closest I guess I have come to it) and I wanted to just enjoy as much as I can. As you will see in the video (embedded at the end), I went absolutely insane up there and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This experience was way different from what I imagined it to be. Could never imagine I would go through all these emotions, such a rush and such a time.

The adrenaline rush that an entrepreneur experiences is one -of -a-kind that cannot be explained in simple words. You have to go through the journey to understand what entrepreneurship is all about. (Hence all the Professors / Experts / Preachers of Entrepreneurship who have never run a business are not the best advisors for budding entrepreneurs). Starting up, first cheque, upgrading to a bigger office, Investor funding, crossing the INR 1 Crore mark, dip in revenues, system failure, recovery are some of the moments when there is a roller coaster of emotions in an entrepreneur’s mind (and heart).

9. The Man behind the Scenes

Once the parachute is on, you glide your way to a smooth landing – to success. But No it wasn’t me who controlled the direction of the parachute, it wasn’t me who knew how to use the winds to my advantage, it wasn’t me who knew how to land to perfection. How did it happen? I was tied on my back to my Instructor (her name is Lynette, yes I got the name wrong in the video L). She ensured I had a smooth ride downwards when it was needed, she ensured no casualty occurred and literally “had my back”. She was able to do it all easily as (a) She is super experienced and she has seen it all (b) She has been hired to do so.

Entrepreneurs (though they are really the supermen of the society) need someone to “have their back”, support at all times and guide through the tough times, the strong winds. This person is the MENTOR. Whatever your startup business, every entrepreneur needs one. He passes on some invaluable knowledge, guidance and among other things also brings you down to earth 😉

10. Success – I landed

I landed safe, YES I DID IT. I just completed the craziest and probably the most risky thing in my entire life. I was absolutely zoned out for a while and it took me a moment to realize what I had done. And then came the moment of unparalleled joy. Ecstatic, overjoyed and in Cloud 9 (was almost literally up there some time ago .. haha)

It is an unintended pun that in my case success went hand in hand with “landing on the ground”. Almost every successful entrepreneur will admit that it is very very important to remain grounded and humble in success. I don’t think I need to say more about this.

11. Reactions 

Once home, I sent out my pictures and video to all my friends & family. Below are some of the reactions:

“OMG that looks awesome, I have to do it too”

“How much does it cost?”

“How did it feel when you jumped?”

“You have balls of steel”

“It looks amazing but honestly I still cant take such a big risk”

Entrepreneurial success brings about the same type of reactions from friends and family. The critics turn admirers, you suddenly have a lot of people appreciating you, some are still worried about the risks while others are wondering how much money it takes to achieve the same amount of success (needless to say they don’t realize it goes beyond the money). 

This was my first humble attempt to write a serious blog. Please excuse me if I have mentioned something incorrect or far from the truth. Comments and critique are most welcome. Look forward to your feedback.

The Video:

About Me:

I am Abhishek Ponia, working with the International Premier Tennis League – www.iptlworld.com . I am based in Dubai and a fan of this amazing community. My passion lies in Sports and I hope to be an entrepreneur one day.

Twitter: @abhishekponia

FB: www.facebook.com/abhishekponia