Rule #4: They Won’t Care as Much as You Do
You care deeply about your business, so why don’t the people you hire seem to share the same urgency? The answer is surprisingly simple — and completely normal.
Entrepreneurship
Starting a business is hard. Starting a social enterprise—a mission-driven business that has giving back baked into its DNA—is even harder. Here I explore some of the challenges that come with building a mission-driven business.
I have a fairly exhaustive list of “rules” that serve as reminders for me as I navigate my way through building. I don’t write these in any particular order. Rather, they’re written as they pop up as issues for me — Rule #20 hits me routinely.
Do you have a thought or challenge that you’d like to see explored or a struggle that you’d like an answer to? Let me know here — I may have already wrestled with it. But then again, it may wind up being another rule!
I have a fairly exhaustive list of “rules” that serve as reminders for me as I navigate my way through building. I don’t write these in any particular order. Rather, they’re written as they pop up as issues for me — Rule #20 hits me routinely.
Do you have a thought or challenge that you’d like to see explored or a struggle that you’d like an answer to? Let me know here — I may have already wrestled with it. But then again, it may wind up being another rule!
Rule #24: You Won’t Have All the Answers
First-time founders eventually face questions far outside their comfort zone. Not having all the answers isn’t a sign you’re failing—it’s a normal part of building something for the first time.
Rule #12: Go Where Your Mission Lives
As a social enterprise, we chose to manufacture overseas. Here’s why.
Rule #14: Everyone is Guessing
We tend to assume successful founders have everything figured out. The reality is that there’s a lot more behind the scenes guessing going on.
Rule #19: Assume It’s an Assumption
Assumptions get a bad rap, but no business can be started without them. So, what’s the difference between a good and a bad assumption?
Rule #20: Do the Thing Now
I desperately needed to send an email this morning, but everything in me wanted to avoid it. Enter Rule #20.
Rule #17: Getting Comfortable Can Kill Your Business
Many of us had blankets and teddy bears when we were children to keep us feeling safe and secure. Mine followed me all the way to a factory search in Indonesia.