- Reality check your potential for building a business. Some people are passionate inventors or idea generators but really have no interest, skills or money for a business. Take an honest look at your motivation, resources and relationships before initiating a startup. The best use of passion may be finding someone else to build the business.
- Seek evidence of market opportunity to balance your passion. Just because you believe everyone needs what you have doesn’t mean it’s true. These days, there are over 150 credible market-research companies online sizing opportunities, including Nielsen and Gartner. If none of them mention your idea, it may not be a business.
- Double check the arithmetic on your business model. Put aside the rose-colored glasses of your passion, and ask a financial expert to validate the total costs required to build the business as well as realistic sales volumes and growth. It helps to document a total business plan rather than rely on your total recollection of all essential elements.
- Buffer your resource estimates by at least 20 percent. No amount of passion and startup planning will make everything work exactly right the first time. Assume you will need multiple iterations and multiple pivots costing more money and time than you anticipated. More passion may mean more opportunity, but it also means more risk.
- Interact with real customers to validate passion in their feedback. Use social media and live customers to eliminate any reality distortion in your internal perception of value. Develop marketing content and communicate with trusted advisors and employees to make sure the right message can be delivered with clarity and integrity.
- Plan for an extended effort, continued learning and personal balance. A business is a journey -- not a quick sprint. Don’t set up such a frenzied schedule that you will burn out after a few weeks or even a few months. The average overnight success for a startup takes six years, say marketing expert Seth Godin. And he is an optimist.
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