Let’s Get This Out of the Way Right Now
I’ve been in this game for 22 years. That’s right, I was editing business articles when floppy disks were still a thing. And let me tell you, I’ve seen alot of startups come and go. Mostly go, honestly.
I remember this kid, let’s call him Marcus, back in ’99. He pitched me this idea over coffee at the place on 5th. ‘It’s gonna be huge,’ he said. ‘A revolutionary new way to buy and sell used CDs online.’ I looked at him and said, ‘Kid, you’re toast.’ And guess what? I was right. He’s probably flipping burgers now.
But Here’s the Thing…
It’s not that I’m some kind of startup hater. I’m not. I love the energy, the passion, the sheer stupidity of it all. But look, I’ve seen enough to know that most of these so-called ‘visionaries’ are just gonna waste their time and their investors’ money.
Take this statistic I found last Tuesday. Get this, only about 10% of startups actually succeed. And by succeed, I mean they don’t go bankrupt within the first two years. That’s it. That’s the bar. And even then, most of those ‘successful’ startups are just kinda limping along, not really making a profit, just surviving on the next round of funding.
And Don’t Even Get Me Started on the ‘Unicorns’
Oh, you know the type. The ones who raise $87 million in funding and then spend it all on office ping-pong tables and free snacks. ‘We’re gonna disrupt the industry!’ they say. ‘We’re gonna change the world!’
Yeah, right. Most of them are just gonna get acquired by some big corp for a pittance and then disappear into the ether. I had a friend, let’s call him Dave, who worked at one of these ‘unicorns’. He told me, ‘It’s all just smoke and mirrors, man. We don’t even know what we’re doing half the time.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But What About the Ones That Do Succeed?
Well, let me tell you, it’s not because they had some brilliant idea. It’s not because they had the best tech. It’s not even because they had the best team. It’s because they were lucky. Plain and simple.
I remember this one time, back in 2007, I was at a conference in Austin. This woman, let’s call her Sarah, she was pitching this idea for a new kind of social media platform. ‘It’s gonna be huge,’ she said. ‘People are gonna love it.’
I looked at her and said, ‘Lady, you’re crazy. This market is saturated. You don’t stand a chance.’ But guess what? She was right, and I was wrong. Her platform took off, and now she’s a billionaire. Why? Because she got lucky. She launched at the right time, with the right features, and the right marketing. It was a perfect storm of luck.
So What’s the Point of All This?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t start a business. Hell, if you’ve got the itch, you’ve gotta scratch it. But what I am saying is, don’t kid yourself. Don’t think that just because you’ve got a good idea and a solid team that you’re gonna make it. Because the truth is, you probably won’t.
But hey, maybe you’ll get lucky. Maybe you’ll be the one in a hundred who hits it big. Maybe you’ll be the next Sarah. But don’t count on it.
And if you’re gonna do it, at least be honest with yourself. Admit that you’re probably gonna fail. And that’s okay. Failure is a part of the game. It’s how you learn. It’s how you grow.
Oh, and One More Thing…
If you’re gonna start a business, for the love of God, don’t forget to stay informed. Keep up with the current affairs analysis update. Know what’s going on in the world. Because if you’re not paying attention, you’re gonna get left behind.
Trust me on this one. I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. Don’t be that guy.
Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. I’m gonna go have a drink. Maybe two. Because God knows I need it after dealing with all you startup wannabes.
Good luck out there. You’re gonna need it.
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience in the business niche. She’s seen it all and has the scars to prove it. When she’s not editing articles, she can be found yelling at her cat or complaining about the state of the world on Twitter.
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