Intense Focus

I know a lot of entrepreneurs and they are my favorite people to hang out with. We are kindred spirits in a lot of ways and we understand each other.

One of the things that outsiders do not understand is the intense focus and commitment to an idea that is required. That is because what appears apparent has layers of nuance and complexity, especially when it comes to dealing with people. The customers, partners and employees in any given industry are wildcards.

There are certain assumptions you can operate from overall such as the self-interest most people display or the truth of capitalism and how people are motivated by rewards from work.

However, I have to say I spend much of my energy dealing with the irrationality of people. Their motivations and behaviors have to be well understood for success and doing business together.

If you are not willing to spend your energy figuring out what will motivate or demotivate people and continually test, destroy and rebuild your assumptions, then the entrepreneurial journey is not for you.

It gives industry insiders a major advantage. They grow up in the culture and understand intuitively why people behave a certain way. They can jump in and relate and get the results they are looking for because they know the reality of what drives behaviors.

So, when you pick your market, commit to an intense focus on why people do certain things. When your assumptions are incorrect, abandon your approach and quickly try something new that should work. Rinse and repeat until you get what you want and can find a successful process and experience.

In a nutshell, that’s entrepreneurship in the trenches. It’s testing assumptions with a market and continuously learning and adjusting.

So, how does that appeal to or discourage you?