Worry Free Entrepreneurship

"Have you had your brick for the day?"

That is the question that Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, founders of Barefoot Wine, would ask each other each day as they went through the tumultuous roller coaster of starting a company trying to compete with the most established players in one of the world's oldest industries.

Shit happens, is the way Mr. Gump would put it.

When founding a startup, the very nature of your work implies that nothing is perfect. More than that even- most things are imperfect. It takes a long time to go from blank canvas to Last Supper, and even the greatest talents have a flurry of discarded sketches, disgruntled assistants, and moments of despair and regret for their decision to pursue such an unlikely and far off outcome.

But isn't that what makes the whole process fun? If problems didn't happen, there would be no challenge to the task ahead. And if there were no challenge, the reward would be equally absent, for the prospect of success gets sweeter with every inch it travels away from us.

Preparation is the best bandage for unexpected "bricks in your day", but there is no cure. Realizing this, and not merely accepting it but embracing it can be the difference between an attitude of success, and one of failure.

Worrying seems to be a lasting feeling in the minds of the entrepreneurs I have met. Stress that a deal won't go through. An omnipresent anticipation of negative outcomes to guide the thought process of an artist in front of a blank canvas will lead to something much worse than a failed experiment- the canvas will remain blank.

So don't worry. Be happy. Keep preparing. Expect and appreciate that bricks will land on your head, and be excited to sweep up the ones you couldn't catch. Understand that if everything went your way all of the time, the whole job would get boring after a short while.

Chill out, life is good. A broken brick can be cleaned up, but worrying really puts a damper on your day.

The Little Wins

Pizzah!

That was the first idea. Almost a year ago, a team consisting of a Dane, a Norwegian, a Hong Konger, and two Americans (a Chinese girl and a Russian guy) were told to think of a product. They came up with an easy and fun service to order pizza. BAM! Revolution. 

A year of classes, models, ideas, designs, arguments, thoughtful discussions, sales pitches, adviser meetings, legal headaches, PowerPoints, venture competitions, employees, and Game of Thrones finales later, and Morph is now officially in the Apple App Store (Morph Delivery).

It hasn't been easy. Some of the struggles have been documented in this blog. Most are simply compilations of difficulties, like a hundred micro-fractures a week piling into one lump of pain. You solve one, another pops up. You have one idea, a dozen issues arise. After a while, the job resembles that of a firefighter (and, at points, the arsonist) than of the artist. You want to create, but you're building a pillar out of a Jenga set.

However, there are little victories, and those are what keep you going. The failure at November 2014's Pitch Party was matched and beat by a successful finish at the Carolina Challenge. The disappointing attempt at outsourcing tech to India (at the usually prudent advice of some fantastic advisers) was surpassed by the value of the talented and eager Oscar and David. The legal pains led to an official (and symbolically self-indulgent) Articles of Incorporation. Insurance fears led to a business model victory. And all of the other countless quarrels, fears, problems and issues are all outmatched by today- the pride at getting a concept accepted by a talent judge and available to the world.

Of course there is a long way to go before anything is truly validated. There are a dozen bugs to fix within the app. The website needs redesigning (anyone interested?) We've got a hundred ideas and improvements that need to be implemented over time. We've still got to make an actual delivery.

But we're making progress, and every tangible moment is a huge win. If a walk of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, well then, I think we must be on step 10. 

Driver recruitment begins tomorrow. If you or a friend are in Chapel Hill, have a car, and want flexible, high paying work with a company that is ready to grow fast, visit www.ChooseMorph.com. Oh, and download the app.

-Adriel

Advisors

One of the most valuable and, let's face it, the only resources available to an individual starting his first business are advisors. While investors have a lot of sagacity to offer, they expect something in return. While parents (at least mine) have opinions every which way and on every topic, they are not always well versed in the troubles plaguing you. Their worldly experiences are a huge boon, and their hope for your success a great motivator, but their perceived power over you can be distraction. Any stranger on the street or, more likely, sharing a shot at the local bar, has a brilliant piece of insight that you, with your meager million hours of thought on the topic, have probably not realized.

Therefore, a line must be drawn between advisors and those who want to offer advice. Everyone has something to add. Friends think you should do one thing, venture capitalists another, and your favorite bloggers a third. But advisors are the people you choose to surround yourself with who will listen because they want to, not because you are contracted to offer them anything but respect and gratitude in return. Advisors have experience in diverse fields that you believe can give them perspective into your own, and are able to leverage their knowledge and bend it to serve your needs. And advisors provide insight, advice and, perhaps most importantly, companionship on your journey.

Starting a company can be a lonely feeling. One small person, fighting the system that says to get a job and the world that just doesn't work the way you think it can. Friends and family care and support you, but few really understand what the struggle looks and feels like. And, truthfully, you try to put on a brave face in front of them all to let family know you aren't letting them down, and tell friends that your career is just as rewarding as theirs (sure, entrepreneurs don't get free weekly happy hours, or gym/sauna/massage memberships or much of a paycheck, but we're on the brink of something huge!!)

Advisors are there for this purpose. They have started companies or been around start ups often enough to appreciate your psyche. They are great sounding boards, great idea generators, and great sources of positivity. They'll provide support, critique, and neutral suggestions at times you need each the most.

So don't go off and think you can do things yourself. Hundreds of people, not too far from you, have something to offer. Whether support, advice, or guidance, surround oneself with people you trust and value can be the difference between failure and success, between quitting and persevering.