The psychology behind entrepreneurship has never been quite understood, what drives entrepreneurs to think big and the obsession to make their dreams come true. Some say they are crazy or emotionally unstable. There are instances where someone may have an idea, get so obsessed with it to a point they can sleep for three or four days straight? Is it maniac depression?
The journey is a roll coaster ride but there are few transitions that can explain their behavior when we pair appropriate activities to their specific emotional states.
"First and foremost, a start-up puts you on an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything you have ever experienced. You flip rapidly from day-to-day – one where you are euphorically convinced you are going to own the world, to a day in which doom seems only weeks away and you feel completely ruined, and back again. Over and over and over. And I'm talking about what happens to stable entrepreneurs. There is so much uncertainty and so much risk around practically everything you are doing. The level of stress that you're under generally will magnify things incredible highs and unbelievable lows at whiplash speed and huge magnitude. Sound like fun?" – Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Netscape
There are different analogies, but let's look at the stages of this process, which can repeat. It's just a brief description of each stage, I will write a post for each stage.
Stage 1: "Uninformed Optimism". At this point you are on a roller coaster, just getting on the top of the rollercoaster, experiencing feelings of an adrenalin rush, characterized by nervous energy and excitement. It's at the point where you are starting out, You are full of energy thinking of how you are going to change the world, this is before reality has set in, obsessed with the vision of what you want to build.
Stage 2: "Informed Pessimism". As you get to the top, you are now more informed, you have less assumptions, feelings of fear starts to set in, you become more nervous and frustration starts to set in and their part of you that wants to run away or hide.
Stage 3 – The third stage "Crisis of Meaning". You're not scared anymore even though you feel like giving up. Is more of you feel as if you are on the end of your world, you feel terrified and all odds are against you. You even die (Not physical death) where the old has to go. If you are not careful you may hit bottom of the curve where you crash and burn, The point where your business goes bankrupt, get stressed, get a divorce, you start drinking. It advisable to seek support when you hit this point, from family and friends or other entrepreneur who underwent a similar circumstance.
Stage 4 – Informed Optimism. You're a little wiser and calm. You're informed in other words cautiously optimistic. You now know what you know, know what you don't Know and you are able to find who know what you don't know.
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Entrepreneurship