Don't be me: a tale of giving up too early.

[throttleforward]

I came across this image on my Facebook feed today.

I had this idea 3 years ago - the company on the Outer Banks featured in the post was the first I pitched to. I was basically told to get the **** out of their flight school. I pitched 2 more companies and quit the idea, thinking that no flight school/rental company wanted it, even though I knew it would be popular with pilots.

Almost as soon as I quit, this company (OpenAirplane) came along and executed better than I did. To see this update in my FB feed was a slap in the face and a wake up call.

Don't stop executing too early. Don't let fear consume you. Don't get discouraged by the first couple of "no's". If you have a solid concept, borne from a personal frustration and validated by some portion of your market, see the idea through. Don't quit too early like I did, only to see an ad/update/post a few years later about how another company is crushing your idea.

 

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[GuestUser113]

@GlobalWealth explained to Jaimie Tardy at eventual millionaire that he went to 60 - 70 stores before one finally said yes.

http://eventualmillionaire.com/millionaire-story-bobby-casey/

JT: That’s what I was going to ask you about. Like how did you pull it away from this other company that had already been there doing it. But you went to 60 stores and got like no from all of them and finally got a yes.

BC: Yes. I can’t remember exactly, it was at least 60 stores I went to before I finally found one that said, yeah, yeah, okay we’ll hire you, how much do you charge? I undercut because I knew what they were charging and just like anybody else, that’s what you do when you don’t know how to really…

 

[RogueInnovation]

Don't let fear consume you. Don't get discouraged by the first couple of "no's". If you have a solid concept, borne from a personal frustration and validated by some portion of your market, see the idea through

Couldn't agree more.
No's should be like water off a ducks back, because if the idea is good, people will refuse it out of spite because they couldn't think of it or find it hard to connect the dots you did.

Always expect resistance. Always move it through the full ten yards.
I'm making some pushes towards a stationary product I think can sell big.
The trouble is as always "we have thousands of like products and people are fine!".
But still... I'm intruiged, so why stop?
It might just be a big return... Once you get past the squeeze.

 

[Jinxus]

I've read threads like this before where people give up on their idea, later to find someone else executing it.

The general consensus is that this is not the end. You're still actively giving up by not pursuing it. OpenAirplane only validates, that yes, there is a need for your idea. Learn from their mistakes. OpenAirplane is saving you the effort of making the mistakes and losing money yourself.

It's never too late.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Thread moved and renamed. Thanks for sharing. I think everyone of us who thinks like entrepreneurs have had this happen at least once.

 

[Coalission]

 

[Wuz]

The race isn´t over.

You can still considered implementing your own idea. See what they do best, see what they re lacking in execution, and go do better.

Same product/service, different market.

 

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[garysvpa]

I came across this image on my Facebook feed today.

I had this idea 3 years ago - the company on the Outer Banks featured in the post was the first I pitched to. I was basically told to get the **** out of their flight school. I pitched 2 more companies and quit the idea, thinking that no flight school/rental company wanted it, even though I knew it would be popular with pilots.

Almost as soon as I quit, this company (OpenAirplane) came along and executed better than I did. To see this update in my FB feed was a slap in the face and a wake up call.

Don't stop executing too early. Don't let fear consume you. Don't get discouraged by the first couple of "no's". If you have a solid concept, borne from a personal frustration and validated by some portion of your market, see the idea through. Don't quit too early like I did, only to see an ad/update/post a few years later about how another company is crushing your idea.

Thanks for sharing.

It's never too late. You can still create a new and unique idea. After all, you have already proven your worth.

 

[throttleforward]

Thanks for sharing.

It's never too late. You can still create a new and unique idea. After all, you have already proven your worth.

Have a few irons in the fire and doing quite well-just wanted to let people know that failure to see your concept through can lead to what I experienced. Don't get discouraged by a few failures, especially if your underlying concept is solid.

 

[garysvpa]

Have a few irons in the fire and doing quite well-just wanted to let people know that failure to see your concept through can lead to what I experienced. Don't get discouraged by a few failures, especially if your underlying concept is solid.

I agree with you.

 

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