Jim Rohn once said, “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” In terms of the startup ecosystem, if you want to find success, surround yourselves with people who want you to succeed and who share the same goals.
The five types of people essential to your startup success:
1) A Co-founder
Being an entrepreneur is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You will feel overwhelmed, lost, close to giving up, and that’s normal. It can take 10 years to find overnight success and lot of people may not understand that struggle. Don’t get me wrong though, being an entrepreneur is also one of the greatest adventures you can undertake. If your entrepreneurial dream is driven by your passion and not by the goal of becoming rich, it will bring you fulfilment and ignite a fire in you. One of the most important things in this rollercoaster journey is having people who share in this with you. Working with a team increases the stimulation and the emulation. They can help you bypass roadblocks and provide you the support you need when you face doubts and choices. Alone we go faster, together we go further.
2) Your Early Adopters
Early adopters are your number one fans (after your family of course). Your product is still not perfect nor totally complete, yet they already understand and love it. Don’t make the mistake of leaving them by the wayside, as they are invaluable. It is your job to build a strong relationship with them. Ask them for feedback as often as you need to, get them involved and make them feel as if they are a part of the journey. If you manage this, you will be amazed by the outcomes. Building a product without regular feedback is like stumbling around in the darkness, you won’t have any idea of the results. Maybe you will succeed, maybe you will fail. There is no point in letting luck decide for you. Develop your solution step by step, with constant validation from your future customers.
3) An Entrepreneur
If you want to achieve something, what better way to emulate that success than to seek advice from someone who has already achieved it? Don’t be afraid to approach them, you will be able to dodge so many avoidable mistakes and wastes of your time. Entrepreneurs can be easily contacted on Linkedin or found in coworking spaces, or also as a part of an accelerator program. For each new step that you have to take, try to find the best person who has already walked the same path before you. Every entrepreneur who has been successful will want to give back. Sharing knowledge and helping people with their projects is what most people derive pleasure from. So, when you achieve a milestone in your journey, it will be your turn to give back. This is what makes entrepreneurship beautiful.
4) A Mentor
A mentor should be someone who has a lot of experiences in business, entrepreneurship and in a particular industry. The establishment of this relationship should be born from mutual consent, he or she chose you and you chose them. They can be at your side from the beginning, always there to listen and impart the best advice for most situations. They should be disinterested by the money and give you their time because they believe in you and what you are trying to achieve. After what you will go through on your journey, they should almost become a part of the family.
5) Others startups
Growing your startup in an Accelerator or Incubator will make a huge difference. Being surrounded by like-minded people, living and building their dreams is powerful. Several startups working hard side by side to make an impact, to improve the daily life of thousands of people, to change the world will give you the support, great connections and instant feedback you need. This is an extremely effective way to go from 0 to 1.
At NUMA Bengaluru, this is what we do. We surround our startups with Experts, Mentors, and Entrepreneurs dedicated to their success. We create a healthy ecosystem that allows them to focus on what matters — their growth.
If you are a tech-enabled early-stage startup who wants to solve a pain point problem, it’s your chance to make it happen. Apply here: https://bengaluru.numa.co/startups.
– Pierre GUILBAUD, Startup Manager at NUMA Bengaluru
