Confidence is important in all aspects of life — but especially if you choose to become an entrepreneur. Because by default you are doing something that no one believes in. If someone already believed in that idea, they would be working on it already.
So how do you keep yourself confident in these times?
Get rid of your need for approval
Allowing other people to form your image is a death of self-esteem and most of us fall in this trap. We compare our startup journey with friends working at MNCs and folks studying abroad and that can slowly poison your confidence.
Good bye to perfection
We are a start-up. We don’t have funds that the multi-billion dollar industries have. And as a result, even if we would want sometimes we can’t come up with the same quality launches as the big brands. But don’t worry. The idea is to bring out product fast, iterate, pivot and improve.
Focussing on strengths
We cannot do everything alone. Our start-up will have some strengths and some weaknesses. Focus instead on your strengths and your weaknesses will become less and less prevalent in your mind. This will also help you to become more comfortable with your venture.
Active involvement
Confidence is also about active involvement. Have you heard of the phrase ‘Out of sight is out of mind’? The phrase clearly tells you that if you are not actively involved, you may lose its information from your mind and thus eventually you will fade in confidence. Get actively involved with your team. Be in touch with ground realities and your numbers and everything will fall in place.
Confidence transpires. Keep your team confident
If you are not confident, your team won’t be confident either. They will feel it in your words and actions and hence it is important that you exuberate confidence. Similarly, if your team is continuously nagging, you will lose confidence as well. Accomplishments are a good way to boost confidence. Celebrate whatever little you accomplish. It goes a long way in keeping the family excited.
For any queries, feel free to write to me on Rajeev@TBSPlanet.com
Rajeev Tamhankar
Twitter@rajeevtamhankar
The writer is the founder of TBS Planet Comics. He is ex-Flipkart, Xiaomi employee, and IIT-R Silver medalist.