Like others in the startup/entrepreneurial world, I spent time over the past few days watching a presentation that Aaron Patzer, CEO of Mint.com which was recently acquired by Intuit, gave to the Founders Institute. He starts by giving some good practical advice for Silicon Valley-based software and web startups. But the most interesting part of the presentation, at least for me, comes towards the end (around minute 19 or so) where he talks about how his entrepreneurial experience has effected him personally. Among several interesting reflections — one is that it’s now easier for him to get a date — he makes the point that an entrepreneurial endeavor, whether a success or a failure, can change you in profound ways and give you experiences that no one can take away from you, regardless of how things turn out. In his case, building Mint.com helped him become more confident and assertive. Perhaps even more importantly, he discovered an, perhaps unexpected, amount of deep satisfaction in having built something from nothing.
Ariel, my longtime business partner and Oyster co-founder, has often made similar comments to me. No matter what happens — and not all business endeavors end in success — the path of creating something from nothing is a truly unique one, and the experiences and feelings of accomplishment that you get from it are uniquely special and uniquely your own. And this is true not just for the founders an entrepreneurial endeavor, but for all the participants in an innovative business, who also get the satisfaction of knowing they helped build something that did not exist before and changed the world in some way, however small.
For me this is all closely related to the idea of enjoying the journey. Selling a company is no doubt a euphoric end to an entrepreneurial journey, but passing that final milestone is in many ways a fleeting experience. Much more important is being able to enjoy the path along the way. If a startup is only about the goals, it will never be enough fun to sustain you through all the hard work required to make it a success. The journey is the part that can never be taken away from you – learning to treasure the path is critical.
