Don't let your fear stop you from achieving your dreams
Ever since I was a teen, I dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur. The thought of being in control of your own destiny, being financially independent, building your own vision, and being respected by everyone around you felt irresistible. I told myself that I must become an entrepreneur no matter what.
I ended up doing computer science at university and still continued having the same dream, however, as I approached graduation, something changed in me. I felt a sense of fear. Will I starve if I don’t get revenue within the first few months of graduating? Are my career prospects going to be ruined if I don’t start working straight after graduating?
These thoughts led me to get a job in a startup. I thought I’d learn first-hand from other entrepreneurs, while spending 5-7 years saving up money, and then start my own business. This would minimize my risk, I said to myself.
However, as months kept passing by, I kept reminiscing over my lifelong dream, and I started feeling more and more miserable. I felt like all the hours of overtime and hard work were only contributing to the benefit of the co-founders. I started looking for a way out.
One day, a conversation with my brother sparked a business idea. I knew that I must pursue it and I started working on it every single evening. Soon, I started spending 100% of my time (outside of my full-time job) on the new business and revenue started coming in.
Despite the immense fear of ruining my career and livelihood, I quit my job and started working on the business full-time. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy. Working every day, from 06:00 to 00:00, required monk-like dedication. At times, it felt like the business wasn’t going anywhere and a lot of people around me were telling me that quitting my job was a major mistake.
In the end, it all worked out. I’m still early in my journey, but within 1 year of quitting my job, I am already making 4x the salary I used to make. The future is still unknown, but I am confident that it will all work out.
The reason why I wanted to share this story with the community is not to brag that I am successful or that I pulled off some crazy business execution, but that people should not be afraid of following their passion and goals. I am extremely happy that I did not choose to work for 5-7 years before starting my business, as chances are that I would’ve already been a different person by then.
For anyone who is dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur and is currently miserable in their job, all I can say is pursue your dream. My fear almost stopped me from becoming who I am today.
