Startup Ecosystem- Expectations vs Reality

There have been many revolutions in the past that have shaped this world to be the way it is today and if I had to give a similar adjective to the present times then I would like to call it the “ Entrepreneurship Revolution” or the “Start-Ups Era”. In the past few years, there has been a significant boom in the number of entrepreneurs and start-ups all across the globe. But is the journey of these start-ups so hunky-dory or the reality is a bit different? Let’s understand this by comparing the expectations and the realities of a start-up/entrepreneurship journey.

Expectations:-

1) Everyone thinks that their idea is unique and once they will enter the marketplace, they will be the only player in that domain.

2) We think that one just needs to work hard for the initial 2–3 years and then we will have a rendezvous with “success”.

3) People assume that investors will just be a source of money and nothing more.

Reality:-

1) Once you enter the marketplace, you understand that maybe your idea is not that unique and even if it is, there are a plethora of other people trying to obstruct your growth.

2)70% of startups fail in their 10th year. This is the amount of persistence and will one needs to master to make it big.

3) Investors aren’t just there to fund you, they are there to make a profit, and many startups collapse because of bitter relations between investors and the founders. Even Apple did at one point in time.

The truth is that we have made startup and entrepreneurship sound cool but the fact is that it is like walking perpetually on burning ash. Although, no one can deny the joy and satisfaction one receives after his start-up goes on to do well.

Written by: Akarsh Mishra

Edited by: Prakhar Shreyash, Anoushka Nandan