Page 82 - 6 Secrets to Startup Success

Founder Readiness 61

INNOVATION/CREATIVITY/ARTISTRY – Many aspiring entrepreneurs
are driven to pursue a technical innovation or a unique product idea,
to turn a specialized hobby or craft into a job, or to build something
that has value apart from themselves. I group these motivations to-
gether, because the common animating force is the age-old thrill of
making something from nothing. Founders driven in this way see
their new ventures as crucibles in which this creation can occur. It’s
a powerful motivator, and a close cousin of the need to achieve. Mark
Williams, founder of Modality, is a great example of a founder who
is obsessively, passionately, unreasonably driven to create the perfect
product. Such founders are typically creatures of the lab, the studio,
or the computing platform. Any opportunity that allows them to pur-
sue their creative passion is one they will gladly embrace.

The challenge for founders driven by innovation and creativity is
finding markets that are both sizable and ready for their craft. Re-
searchers, “creatives,” software hackers, and product developers are
often leery of marketing and sales activity and lack general business
acumen. If your first love is innovation, learn to respect market and
financial forces and the talented people who understand them. They
will help you tether your passion to sustainable streams of good for-
tune.

m

There are, of course, other reasons to start a business. Some people
feel that they were born to be entrepreneurs and will jump at the first
opportunity. Others want to go deep into a professional specialty or
follow in a family tradition of entrepreneurship. Whatever your rea-
sons, work to understand what is driving you and how this might im-
pact your startup approach.

Alongside the question of why you want to start a business is the
question of what you hope to accomplish. Even if sketched out in very
general terms, articulating your goals puts a stake in the ground and
helps you to further think through your overall level of readiness. I
use the following questions with clients as a starting point:

American Management Association • www.amanet.org