I am sharing you my life in the Start-up world. When I was still in Dubai, I embarked entrepreneurship, where the office manager asked me that, “if you did not need a work visa, you are doing full time business by now”. I nodded.
Back then in Dubai, I had no inkling in life but to start my own business. I admitted it was not all fun. In reality, it is full of problems, frustrations and anxieties. You have a life-saving that is tied to investment, in something full of unknowns. What if it wouldn’t work out?
My five years of stay in Dubai armed me to face all the life struggles. I was forced to be independent at such a young age (early 20s). I managed to start investing in the property sector (condominiums) rather than spending life saving in non-sense like boozing, extravagant holidays and frivolous possessions.
Then I moved to California. In San Francisco, I immediately was on the lookout for something to do biz as my side gig. Similar to what I did in Dubai, I had a job and business on the side. It is what they called “bootstrapping”, it just means building the business from the ground up without investors funding.
Few years in California and I found myself some worthwhile to spend my time with. The bonus part, I entered the endurance world of sports and beat a lot of above average men in racing. Feminist much, nah. Not really. I sometimes don’t even know what feminism means. I just follow my heart and wherever my heart takes me.
However, not all good things stay forever in endurance sports. It came to a point that I have to take care of my family and future. I have to take life seriously.
I am a worker and an entrepreneur. No matter what happens, I have this entrepreneurial bug that would not leave me alone. So I welcome myself to the Start-up and join the many go-getter personalities in San Francisco – Silicon Valley.
My start-up is far from “success” yet, but the signs of problems and frustrations are already there. I am feeling anxious all the time. My head is working non-stop, little time for myself let alone make time for others, like pleasing a prospective mate? Please note that, I find all the things I am doing is “fun” (not the kind of alpinist fun though).
So what is it like to be working on a Start-up? Here are my 12 reasons/lists:
- #Doer is the motto of the day
- Lack of sleep (5 to 6 hours a day is good)
- Feeling guilty for every time you spent that is not considered work. Any lunch, dinner or socializing with friends is a guilt trip
- Affecting the social life, somehow you could not relate to many people outside of the Start-up Bay Area
- You’d rather be networking instead of dating. Yes, you always facilitate connections. Your boyfriend would hate you to the core L
- Eating organic food is normal. Health is a priority and vegetarian is totally understandable
- You are game for any kind of tax credit and incentive programs
- The average age for Startup founders are older, more diverse, and don’t live in San Francisco. That is, that the average successful founder is 47 to early 50s
- Mingling with Co-founders, you find them have few different day jobs and engaged in few different Start-ups
- You always think bigger and outside the box and act away from your comfort zone
- Positive attitude carry you day to day
- Hungry for the next big thing regardless of where you may find it
All that being listed, one in 10 Start-up is a success. So why am I doing this?
I could not answer the question for now, despite the city life in San Francisco is expensive, where Uber drivers want your money and the servers wanted as much tip from you, whilst you eat ramen noodles, in the end, I know that it would totally be worth it :)
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