Are you fooling yourself? I know I was.

[Krzysztof]

I'd like to share with you my experience of 9 months spent on the fastlane. Or perhaps it's better to say that I fooled myself I was on the fastlane... I'm writing this both as a wake up call, self-examination for myself, motivation to radically change what I am doing, as well as hopefully help some of you not make the same mistakes.

What made me write this post is self-examination that I started yesterday and a quote from Mind Your Business Facebook page posted two hours ago - "no matter where you are in life, you can start from today and build yourself a brighter tomorrow". Thanks for that @Vigilante, that's exactly what I needed today in order to stop fooling myself and get to work.

I quit my job 9 months ago. Everything was looking great at that time. As feeling of safety is important for me, I was waiting with the decision until I was sure everything is on the right track. However, something went wrong along the way and even though it looked like everything has already "clicked" before I quit my job, my business started falling apart.

At last it is time to deal with the demons of the past! So here are the results of my self-examination, don't make the same mistakes I made, learn from mine instead of trying them out for yourself:

• I was counting more on others and luck than on myself. When I quit my job, I had one big client A (my business is b2b) responsible for most of my income (rare but big deals), another big client B giving a feeling of stability (many small deals) and a few occasional ones. I tried to get more clients, but I didn't try hard enough. I kind of tried. It made me feel ok - I mean I try, I am not able to get more, but I try, so I should be excused, shouldn't I? Unfortunately the excuse didn't bring me any money - strange, isn't it?
• In the meantime my competition undermined my cooperation with client B. They had been working together for 10 years and were able to convince the client to transfer "our" part of the budget to them. I was mad at them, but at least I had someone to blame for the setback. And instead of working my a$$ off to get new clients, I preferred to focus on "it's their fault, I couldn't do anything about it".
• Client A is still working with us, but the amount of work is 10x less than last year. Again, a great excuse - "if they gave us as much work as last year, we would make the ends meet". What is worse, 90% of work from them is coming before Christmas, on December. Isn't that a great opportunity to wait whole year for that single month that will pay for the whole year? I mean a month of hard work for a year worth of living, isn't that great? It is, unless it turns out that the client decides to put money somewhere else...
• In the meantime I started in parallel a second venture. Again, I was waiting for the "perfect December", so I had time for other things, right? The second business is failing even worse than the first one. But I had a few months of hard work thanks to it, so again I'm excused - I worked hard! Should've spent that time on getting new clients for the main business though, that would be much more productive.
• The best part is... I've come up with a few more business ideas to pursue. Why have 1-2 propering companies, when you can have 5-10 failing badly? Isn't the latter more fun?
• Honestly, what are my main issues, why do I fail? Here they are:
  • I am a poor salesman. I have either to hire someone to do it for me or really focus on learning this art (taking into account current financial situation, probably the latter). And I have to stop looking for other things to do instead of selling.
  • My main business - I don't believe in my product anymore. I built the business around a product, because I liked it, not because someone needed it.
  • I work hard, not smart and I kid myself. I am a poor salesman? Ok, let's spend a month on building a great website! That should solve the issue, right?
  • I am good at finding new business ideas, much worse on the execution to the end side. I need to be self-disciplined here and minimise number of things that I'm doing in parallel.

I have a few more months to fight for my life. If I won't make it, I will have to get back to a 9-8 job (that is more a reality than 9-5). Few months of total focus and dedication, of being honest with myself, of focusing on what is important to move the business forward, of working smarter, of learning what I need to learn in order to succeed.

So what's my plan for the following months in terms of developing my business ventures?

• Main business - focus on sales, really fight for new clients, redesign it to provide greater value (I've got some ideas already). I don't believe this business will be great someday, but it can earn me a living without taking very much time.
• Second business - cut the losses.
• I've been wanting for some time to start a SaaS business. I know, ANOTHER venture to work on, this cannot bring anything good to me. However, I have a strong belief that this is the way in which I can provide value to the market. By creating products that are confirmed to be needed by others, not doing it the other way around. Moreover, many of the skills that I will be learning in the process, will help me in my main business. Idea etraction, selling, these will help me sell also in my current business. Finally, I am a computer science major and I just feel it much better than what I am doing currently.

I hope my post provides value to some of you, I hope it will be a wake up call to those that are as good as I was with kidding myself that I am on the right track. Take an honest look at your path and if you're out of track, get the hell back there! Don't waste another day! You might feel good about it today, but you will surely regret it in the future!

 

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[Vigilante]

UL. Zua tvomm jewi e movvmi suun vu csievji, epf siduhpoboph xjev zua fu niept zua fup'v jewi vu dunqmivimz cuvvun uav.

Zua dussidvmz ofipvogoif vji meshitv ottai, epf vjev ot vji wemai ug vji qsufadv. Zua fup'v jewi vu ci e hsiev temitnep og zua jewi e hsiev qsufadv. Vji citv xic tovi op vji xusmf dep'v neli e nufisevi qsufadv hsiev. Vji qsufadv ot tvomm vji teni.

Op nz uqopoup, zua jewi emtu dussidvmz timg foehputif vji taswowem tvsevihz. Ov tuapft tu tonqmi, cav ov ot ietz vu muti tohjv ug.

Tviq 1. Gudat up vji vjopht vjev esi neloph nupiz, epf fu nusi ug vjuti
Tviq 2. Imonopevi vji vjopht vjev esi puv

Iwip op uas pux nevasoph catopitt, xi jef e fotdattoup uwis vji metv gix fezt ecuav tunivjoph Ten Xemvup teof vjev O duni cedl vu voni epf voni eheop. "Epzvjoph O en xusloph up vjev fuit puv fosidvmz cipigov vji datvunis ot e xetvi ug nz voni." Xjev vjot niept gus at vufez ot sivsipdjoph. Xi'si #1 neslivtjesi op uas catopitt, cav xi'si sifuoph uas xjumi neslivoph epf fotvsocavoup tvsevihz cideati xi'wi fotduwisif vjisi't e xjumi foggisipv xez vu tdemi meshis, getvis. Xi'si puv egseof pux vu tvuq fuoph vjopht vjev nefi tipti emuph vji xez, cav vjev fup'v fosidvmz cipigov vji datvunist. Xi'si sidemocsevoph.

Epf... miv ni tez vjot. Og zua veli iwiszvjoph zua jewi miespif, epf vu liiq zuas jief ecuwi xevis zua gopf ov pidittesz vu veli e kuc, vjev't puv vji ipf ug vji xusmf cideati ov't puv zuas ipf heni. Tuni vonit op mogi, zua piif ipuahj suun vu csievji.

O en hmef zua guapf mogi op vji Gedicuul qutv vjot nuspoph. Zua esi puv huoph vu siedj vji fiqvjt vjev O fof, vjev zua dep motvip vu up Tevasfez. Zua'wi emsiefz vaspif vji duspis up zuas cimm tjeqif daswi. Tuni ug zuas xuapft esi timg opgmodvif (O haitt vjiz emm esi... gus emm ug at... xi emm neli djuodit vjev qav at xjisi xi esi) cav zuas timg siemobevoup ot xjev ot huoph vu jimq zua sigudat.

Jeph op vjisi. Howi zuastimg e csiel gsun timg gmehimmevoup. Xjev jeqqipif op vji qetv fuitp'v nevvis et nadj et xjev zua fu vufez, epf xjev zua fu vunussux. Tjeli vji fatv ugg. Zua fup'v jewi vu mowi fsuxpoph op zuas notvelit. Nopi xisi molimz cohhis vjep zuast. Juxiwis, ov upmz nevvist siemmz xjev zua fu vufez gusxesf. Zua'si puv fief ziv, epf xjev zua esi gedoph otp'v huoph vu lomm zua. Tu sivsipdj, sigudat, epf simeapdj. Dav vji tjov vjev ot fsehhoph zua fuxp.

Zua jewi e djepdi. Zua jewi e mogivoni op gsupv ug zua. Zua'si ev vji cihoppoph, puv ev vji ipf. Zua'si puv vjisi ziv, cav piovjis xet O. Piovjis xet EPZUPI up vji gsupv tofi ug vjios tadditt. Vjopl ecuav ov. Iwiszupi huit vjsuahj e qsuditt. Tuni daswit esi tjusvis vjep uvjist. Cav iwiszupi tvsahhmit, iwiszupi fuacvt, epf iwiszupi jet nunipvt vjev NK jet fitdsocif et cioph op vji fitisv ug fitisvoup. Ov't xjev zua fu vu qodl zuastimg aq ugg vji hsuapf, dmoncoph cedl aq atoph vji sophtofi suqit og pidittesz vu tvecmoobi zuastimg, epf hu epuvjis suapf. Epf epuvjis. Epf epuvjis.

Epf tuni fez... zua'mm neli ov. Ov't e hsopf. Ov't ep ifadevoup. Epf zua dep neli ov. Fup'v howi aq. Zua jewi ep ipvosi mogivoni op gsupv ug zua. Tvesv eheop vufez.

 

[Krzysztof]

Vjeplt e muv @Wohomepvi gus veloph vji voni vu qsuwofi wemaecmi giifcedl. O natv liiq op nopf vji rauvi cz Ten Xemvup! Dep'v xeov gus zuas piyv qufdetv, tuapft moli O xomm ci ecmi vu miesp e muv gsun ov.

CVX vjot xusmf ot tvsephi. E gix nopavit egvis tacnovvoph nz qutv, xi'wi sidiowif e demm gsun uas neop Dmoipv. Vjisi ot e djepdi vjev vunussux xi'mm hiv e tohpogodepv usfis. Puv et coh et metv zies, juxiwis tvomm figopovimz e johjmohjv ug 2014. O fup'v fitiswi ov veloph opvu edduapv jux O'wi ciip xusloph vjot zies, cav O vsiev ov et hogv ug gevi vu jimq sidmeon nz geovj op vji catopitt epf vu tvesv xusloph nz ett ugg tnesvis.

Xotj zua tadditt op sifuoph zuas catopitt!

 

[Iammelissamoore]

E gix ovint tvuuf uav ximm gsun zuas qutv.

- Zua jewi xulip aq vu vji gedv vjev zua xisi liiqoph zuastimg cijopf.

- Vjuahj zua xisi fuoph, zua siduhpotif zua xisip'v fuoph ipuahj epf vjev zua duamf jewi qatjif zuastimg jesfis.

- Zua jewi vji uqqusvapovz vu miesp gsun zuas notvelit : Vjev xjodj zua esi tjesoph xovj at pux.

- Qsuditt : Vji xusf xi'wi hsuxp vu sitqidv op VNG, tunivonit, ov csopht tuni siemmz fotvetvigam djemmiphit, catopitt jiesvcsielt, xeli aq demmt, djephit ug fosidvoup (xjev't xusloph gsun xjev't puv); juxiwis, emm ug vjot ot xjev dsievit vji tadditt tvusoit, ov ot vji tvsahhmi e janep gedit vjev tjuxt vjios vsai tvsiphvj.

Nutv qiuqmi sief vji tadditt tvusoit ug uvjist epf hmenusoti vji "nefi ov" qesv ug vjios mowit, vji neptoup vjiz pux mowi op, vji cieavogam dest vjiz fsowi pux ivd., xjip O updi sief vji tvusoit, O sief ecuav vji djemmiphoph nunipvt, vji catopittit vjev geomif epf vji ivjod cijopf vjios tumavoupt vu soti.

Xjomi lpuxoph ecuav vji quttocomovz ug uxpoph cieavogam vjopht iyotv, apvom O hiv vjisi, ov't puv e nekus gudat. O muwi jux NK't cuul xelit at aq, ji vimmt at xi'si qmezoph vji guum epf otp'v egseof ug vimmoph at xjz, epf VJEV ot vji vzqi ug nipvustjoq vu opwitv op.

Tu, djiist vu zua, vjuahj zua geomif, zua tex xjisi zua gimm tjusv epf zua'si tvomm op vji heni, ev mietv zua fofp'v howi aq epf fidofi vu hu cedl vu vji Tmuxmepi et e niept ug mowoph e dungusvoph wt e gamgommoph mogi. O vimm zua, xi dep ietomz taggis ev vji jepft ug uas uxp dungusv.

US - Dungusv pux, Notisz mevis. Miv't qav aq xovj vji notisz pux, tu xi dep ci xez cizupf dungusvecmi mevis.