Helping Founders Turn Vision Into Reality
Recently I was approached by a wonderful person who sees themselves as an ideas person with external fund backing. The business proposal was based on solid experience in the industry but their personality type was more of a front end business facing CEO style. They are the ideas and sales person and that personality is essential in any organisation. They rightly do not go down into the weeds or delivery aspect of the latest idea but for greenfields or a start up they do need to apply themselves to multiple roles to kick start it off.
Let us be frank. In New Zealand, around 17 to 21.5 percent of small businesses close in their first year and some recent reports suggest it is closer to one in four. An idea on its own is not enough to beat those odds.
It is easy to have an idea. Most of us carry several around in our heads every day. Turning that idea into a long term and sustainable business is something completely different. It takes a different mindset. One that can see the bumps in the road ahead and is already working on contingency plans.
A resilient founder mindset usually includes the following.
Market research that tests whether the idea is sound in the real world.
A clear digital landscape that can grow with the business rather than hold it back.
Experience across different industries so lessons are reused instead of repeated.
An understanding that standing still in terms of business acumen is a slow decline.
It also takes hard work long hours and a vision that is so clear you can hold on to it when the difficult days arrive and make no mistake about it they will come.
A friend once worked for a company in Australia that was built on hard lessons two local founders experienced in the United States. They came home and through determination and sacrifice turned an idea into a multi million dollar company. They gave up time with their whānau and most of their leisure activities to bring that dream into reality. Eventually they sold to a global competitor but it would have taken a real toll to get there and yes, they walked away with a very healthy bank account for the five + years they worked at this venture.
This article is not here to stop you from pursuing your dreams. It is here to help you keep them a reality once you have started that hīkoi. We want you to succeed. As a future partner in bringing your dream to life I am going to be that person who talks honestly with you about what it takes. If you have an idea and you are ready to commit fully then we should talk. Nepata Digital can help you test and shape the idea set up a digital foundation that can scale and bring in the right expertise at the right time so your business is built to last not just to launch.
