Dear Entrepreneur,
Do you only care about getting rich? If so, then you won’t last long if that’s why you have chosen to be an entrepreneur. If you want to be an entrepreneur, then you need to really want to build something great for people, and you also need to be passionate about what you are building, because the truth is that you could build for years before striking gold, and if you don’t believe in what you’re doing, you won’t last that long.
Many entrepreneurs go for years without getting a single paycheck from their business, in order to, for as long as they possibly could, keep as much of the money in their business. Some entrepreneurs are even the least paid person in their company. They know that it won’t be the case forever, and they also know that “getting a big pay-check now” is the least important thing. All they care about is the growth of their business, and they will do anything to ensure that, even if it means not getting paid at all.
True entrepreneurs aren’t in it just for the money. If you focus on working hard to be the best at what you do and bring value to the lives of others, then the money will follow, if not instantly, but eventually. If this doesn’t scare you, then, congratulations, you have the mindset of a true entrepreneur.
P.S: I remember when an investor asked me how much I was paying myself, and I said, “nothing”. He then went on to advise me to pay myself, no matter how little, since I was an employee of my company, and it’s against the law not to be getting paid anything. All I’m trying to say is that: “If your eyes are locked on how fat your paycheck would be when starting out, you might easily quit along the way when things don’t pan out as fast as you want them to.”
With love,
Chidi