You’re responsible (even when it’s not your fault)
It’s true what they say. There’s absolutely no “I” in team work. If something goes wrong, it’s everyone’s job to fix it. It’s unproductive to point fingers at any one person. Fix it, prevent the problem from recurring and move on.
You’ll eventually have to disappoint people.
Some of your professional relationships will have to end. Some of your customers may not always get what they want. You can no longer grow if you’re carrying dead weight employees or fail to fire abusive customers, so trim the fat, but beware of leaving a bitter taste in their mouths or you’ll face the consequences.
You’ll face rejection
Be prepared to hear 100 or even 500 “no’s” before you ever get a resounding “yes” from someone. You may think it’s a numbers game: the more people you ask, the closer you get to finding your first customer. The real secret isn’t trying to sell to everybody and anybody, but selling your idea, product or service to the right people, improving your pitch, presentation, story and salesmanship each and every time.
I’m only 9 years and 5 start-ups into my career and I, most certainly, have many more lessons I need to learn. Ultimately, it’s these lessons that help you become a better entrepreneur.
Tonderai Mandaza
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