Startups are always fascinating when you see gaining fame, success,
visibility and money as early as possible. Yes , All the talks you ever listen
and all the brands you ever saw it holds true for all of them but what you don’t
know is that all you get is for short duration not for very long term. People
from various stages do a daunting task “Doing startup of their own”. People who
are still in college are also not behind in this race. I was also one of the
person in the race who did so, here are the few experiences, which are
repetitive for most of the college startups:-
1)
Compromise with the study:-First problem you will get is about
compromising the study. When you get an idea to create multibillion-dollar Company.
You hardly believe on any theorem, subject and syllabus. You start creating a false
image in mind that whatever you studied until now is useless and the thing you
are going to study is useless. Soon you will see your grades going down and in
some cases you can even fail in one or more subject.
2)
Friendship on stake: - This point is not that important but
still viable. You have an idea and to convert it into the business model you
need a lot of hard work and time. You will be going to miss all the outings and
birthday party for sure. You will fear to tell them that you are working on a
product for not to be the part of mockery. Soon you will see yourself working continuously
on the product and missing everything with friends. People will call you mad
and unsocial. If you have cofounders than that is going to be worse as when
business comes in friendship or friendship comes with business life is tougher
to deal with.
3)
College Professors behind you: - You may think that nobody is
watching you but your college professors will be the first one to notice your
activities. They may seem to you having no interest but they will keep an eye
on everybody and guess what they will be trying you to teach the real lesson
that is startup is not a cup of tea for 20 something. They will give you many
examples that eventually helps in downing your morale.
4)
Parent pressure: - Your parents will also not able to
grasp the thing that you are working on a product while still studying in
college. They will come up with every possible story to tell you that it is a
bad idea. They cannot grasp the thing that their son/daughter is not going to
become what he/she joined college for but searching another area that is called
entrepreneurship.
5) Investors denying every pitch: - What do you think about investors at this stage? They are not
going to give any money however good idea you have. They believe in experiences
and confidence. When you will go to first time, they will ask about the product,
they will give you full time to explain everything but at the end, they will
reject you. You will never get why they did so. They get thousands of pitches
every month and when they have so many things to work on why they are going to
bet on an untested product.
6)
Customers
not believing on you: - When you will go to the customers for testing your product
even if free, they are not going to test it. Customers do not try the product
unless it is not a symbol of showoff or its really solving their problem. There
are so many beta products launched every day and not many even touch lakhs of
user. You need to be very better at economics and advertising not only having
an idea is going to help you in covering the staircases.
7)
Doubt on Dreams: - When most of steps you followed is
coming to failure sometime even you will doubt on your dreams. It is very easy
to develop a product put it into the market and show to investors but the
difficult part is handling the failure after it. Being a college student, you
will be already going with lot of turmoil, which can break you at this stage.
8)
College Placements an easy gate to
enter into the corporate world: - After you start doubting on your dreams, you will see
placements as the chance to enter into the corporate world and join the rat
race. You have not studied much about courses and didn’t attended classes but
still you are very sure that telling about failed startup will easily get you
in any company. Mark my words you will be joining the best company and will
never be able to start up again.
9)
Relationships
on stake: - While working on the startup you were so busy that you even did
not get the time to hang out with friends. You relationship with everybody
around will not be good while leaving the college. You will not be having much
memory to cherish on. You will pass out from the college with excellence but
without friendship. In worst case, you may even have to stay for one more year
to clear all the papers.
10) From hero to zero: - It is normal in our life that when we start something we consider ourselves
hero who is going to rule in near future. During our journey between low and
high most of the time we eventually start believing that all the information we
have about ourselves is false and the end if we are going through turmoil continuously
end up being a zero.
Above experiences are inspired from my real experiences. If
you see it, there is a pattern of failure. At each step, you can avoid next
step to happen. If you are really do care about the startup you should never stop.
Life will give you thousands of excuses that why it can fail but believe in
yourself and work hard until all comes not into your plate. The thing you lost
you lost forever and the thing you gain is also going to live with you forever.
Prioritize the things and grab the world.
