Being a founder

Being a founder 7 - Patience isn’t a virtue–it’s a requirement

By Ted Pin ⋅ October 6, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

One of the biggest draws for entrepreneurs to the Web is its quick turnaround; you can go from idea to prototype in just a few weeks, or faster. And if the idea doesn’t work out, you can pursue a new one the next day. There are few industries that provide as much instant gratification.

But, however much Internet entrepreneurs love the rapid pace of the tech world, I want to share a little advice with you: Sometimes, it’s ok to slow down. Sometimes, it’s better to wait.

We often feel like we need to act and react as quickly as our industry changes. If we don’t, we might feel disconnected, out-competed, or, even worse, irrelevant. Those can all be true. But sometimes moving too fast, making a change before you are ready, can be far more destructive than any of those things. 

Stop and consider this: Many of us are entrepreneurs because when we get an idea, some vision, we can’t help but act. But if we start spending more time reacting to the outside world than acting based on our vision, we can lose our way. Being lost or lead is not why we do this. We are entrepreneurs because we need to define our own paths, our own destinations.

The next time you’re in a panic and feel the need to react, or even act prematurely, stop and think. Be patient while you try to understand what is going on around you, and keep asking yourself (or yourselves) why. Figure it out, and don’t do what you wouldn’t normally do just because you’re under pressure. If you discover you need to respond to outside forces, do so. But you might be surprised how often that is not actually the case.

Remember, great goals are usually only attained by disciplined deliberateness. Steady steps over time. If that approach isn’t exciting and intruiging enough for you and your business, consider that is the reason so many entrepreneurs don’t make it. 

Don’t do what they do.

Do what you do.

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