Help! The beginner's paradox

[Kmxo]

Hello fastlane friends!



Since I'm new around here, I start by introducing myself:

ABOUT ME:

• I'm located in the south hemisphere, in South America
• I figure I come from some of the most slowlane parents in the world. Great folks! Just a totally "risk" averse
• Because of that, it was pretty hard at the beginning when I decided a few years ago to start a change in the my professional life. Those efforts went from knowing literally nothing about entrepreneurship, feeling completely useless for it, full of insecurities as to what would happen with to my family (I've got 2 children), to creating my own company, which -to my surprise- went pretty well right from the beginning.
• I felt great! After studying and working for a long time, not having enough money for my family needs, and most of all, feeling that I living bellow what I could achieve, this new situation felt like heaven!
  
  THE CHALLENGE
  
  
• ... And that lasted until I read TMF , heheheeh! After that, I realized that more than a business, I had a good job, and that it had a ceiling I'm pretty sure it can not be surpassed (and depending on how you look at it, it's not even that good), at least with the current business model.
  
  THE HELP I NEED
  
  
• So here's the deal: even though I've been running a business for a little while now, I come humbly to you since I feel like a beginner, because the real entrepreneurship (having magnitude and/or scale) it's a completely different world to me.
• In what part of the process am I? In the beginning. I'm still stuck in the freaking first part: the idea. I've read and studied a lot by now... Maybe not THAT much, but definitively enough to start doing something! Therefore, I feel like I haven't done any real work, and that ticks me off a lot.
• I know many of you are thinking right now "there are a million threads about how to find an idea in the forum!" Or "that's the easiest part!" And many other thoughts like that. The thing my is, I don't know if I'm suffering "paralilsis for analysis" or what, but we finally come to the "beginners paradox" that I referred in the tittle of this post. I will try my best to explain it:
  
  THE PARADOX
  
  1. In order to create a real business, I have to focus on one thing, one area, one idea (being a business monogamist)
  2. To "marry" one of those ideas, I have to put a lot of effort in getting to know everything about that idea (it's a process, not an event)
  3. But, how do you choose? If you know nothing about real state, the tire selling business or the selling of medical supplies through the Internet (I'm just naming random things), what if you pick one and after a lot of effort and time you realize it was not worth it? Is it a risk you have to take? I mean, to create value, I believe you have to really get to know the area you want to focus on... And how long should that take? Weeks? Months?
  4. So the paradox is: in order to find the right idea, you have to invest an important amount of time in getting to know the area of that idea. But why would you invest that amount of time getting to know that area, if you don't know in the first place if the idea is any good?
  
  FINAL QUESTION
  
  I guess my final question is: how can you choose an area and search for a business idea there, if you know little or nothing about that area, wasting as little time as possible?
  I guess this whole thing comes from the belief that an important part of the knowledge I currently have about my business is not really helpful for this new venture I'm undertaking (otherwise I would've started there).
  
  HIPOTHESIS
  
  So here are my hypothesis as to where am I wrong:
  
  H1: the knowledge I currently have CAN be used for the new business I want to create, so I should stop fooling around and find an idea in that area (my current business by the way, is the soft skills training for companies, but only "face to face" training, we don't do e-learning... At least not yet. Why? I think it has more "scale" that the current business model, but not enough scale to create wealth, so I haven't wanted to invest time and money on that, even though it could help grow my current business).
  
  H2: This fear I have, about waisting time on getting familiar with the area where I want to find a business idea, it's an investment every beginner-entrepreneur has to take and is simply part of the process and one of the many risk and cost of entrepreneurship. "Just pick one idea and start executing!". In other words, executing the idea is the only way to know if the idea is any good or not.
  
  H3: I'm being just too impatient. I have to continue doing what I'm doing, and eventually, the idea will come.
  
  H4: I'm trying to find a super-idea that nobody has ever thought before. I should find something way more simple.
  
  H5: left blank for you guys to fill, in case you have an idea in mind.

DUMB CONCERN

So, I hope this concern I have does not sound stupid or is already in a different post (which I searched, of course, but I couldn't find), BUT, believe me: I have absolutely no problem in you guys telling me that my concern is dumb... As long as you also drop a line or two that helps me change my perspective, so I can move forward with my project.



If you got this far reading, thank you very much. Even though I can't commit to do everything you tell me, I will most definitively give serious consideration to all of your thoughts.

THANK YOU!

 

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[Ninjakid]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not really a paradox. A paradox is more like: "Having the right idea is the wrong idea." What you have is more of a dilemma, but not a paradox.

Also, there's no such thing as a "right idea." As we usually say here "ideas are useless, it's the execution that makes the difference." I myself have only ever implemented less than 0.0001% of ideas I've ever had.

An idea only matters once it becomes something. And often times, we never no if and idea was good or bad until after a result. Even then, a new result could change our perspective on the idea in a heartbeat.

I've found when I started researching business, I was anxious to have an idea about what kind of business to start. I became even more anxious when I kept changing my ideas, and quit my job at one point to pursue business.
There's a different energy to coming up with an idea because you're using your creativity to its potential than coming up with an idea because you need to money soon. The former energy is based on love, the latter energy is based on fear.

Assuming you have a steady job and/or income, just relax and exercise your imagination. You'll find that you can tune in with your neuron connections much better when you're relaxed and not clouded by anxiety or other creativity hampering emotions.

I'm not saying just slack off, I'm saying do the things you love to do right now with intense focus and passion, and before you know it, you'll find a burning desire that you simply MUST share with the world. To others it will seem like a business, to you it will be a vision for the world.

Anyways, welcome to the forum!

 

[Kmxo]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not really a paradox. A paradox is more like: "Having the right idea is the wrong idea." What you have is more of a dilemma, but not a paradox.

Mmm.... you're right! ( I must admit, I felt tempted to say I used the wrong word in english, but then I realized that "dilemma" in spanish is "dilema" and "paradox" is "paradoja", so yeah... )

There's a different energy to coming up with an idea because you're using your creativity to its potential than coming up with an idea because you need to money soon. The former energy is based on love, the latter energy is based on fear.

Makes sense

I'm not saying just slack off, I'm saying do the things you love to do right now with intense focus and passion, and before you know it, you'll find a burning desire that you simply MUST share with the world. To others it will seem like a business, to you it will be a vision for the world.

Now, that made A LOT of sense to me!

Anyways, welcome to the forum!

Thank you! and specially, thank you for your reply!

 

[W4RHRSE]

I would like to interject my own 2cents...

You had mentioned about not knowing an area, how to tap into that area...

It's all knowledge. Knowledge is everywhere. Just because you don't know now, just means you know where you have to look.

Plus, with fresh eyes comes a new outlook on even the most scrutinized subjects.

*places two pennies on table*

 

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[nradam123]

I guess my final question is: how can you choose an area and search for a business idea there, if you know little or nothing about that area, wasting as little time as possible?
I guess this whole thing comes from the belief that an important part of the knowledge I currently have about my business is not really helpful for this new venture I'm undertaking (otherwise I would've started there).

STEP 1 - Go to Google
STEP 2 - Search "How to Validate You Business Idea"
STEP 3 - Read a lot about it and execute

Validation is basically making people pay money for your product or service before its really made. You can do it as Presales.

 

[Kmxo]

Plus, with fresh eyes comes a new outlook on even the most scrutinized subjects.

That's true, I handn't fully considered. Thnks!

 

[Kmxo]

STEP 1 - Go to Google
STEP 2 - Search "How to Validate You Business Idea"
STEP 3 - Read a lot about it and execute

Validation is basically making people pay money for your product or service before its really made. You can do it as Presales.

Thnks! I will most definitetively look the site you recommended and others like it.

 

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[Royael]

There is no perfect idea. I was searching myself for the "silver bullet", but there is none. I remember Keith Cunningham said something along the lines: "Take any industry/any idea and I will show you one millionaire and 100 people that didn't make it." That's true for almost all "industries/ideas" that have already been proven. That means, don't reinvent the wheel (your fourth hypothesis).

My advice would be not to search for "the idea". That is wasted time. I bet, the idea will change 10 times before you get to your final destination anyway! So just start with something you really like/you can imagine yourself doing for the rest of your life - then just learn everything about that. The path will uncover itself after that. Oh, and that doesn't mean follow your passion. Look at your strengths and try to see where those could be applied best.

By the way, here are 5000 proven ideas for you to choose from: http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2015

 

[W4RHRSE]

That's true, I handn't fully considered. Thnks!

Don't let your perceived inabilities run your actions or your mind...

 

[Kmxo]

"Take any industry/any idea and I will show you one millionaire and 100 people that didn't make it." That's true for almost all "industries/ideas" that have already been proven.

Good! loved the quote. It makes sense too

My advice would be not to search for "the idea". That is wasted time. I bet, the idea will change 10 times before you get to your final destination anyway! So just start with something you really like/you can imagine yourself doing for the rest of your life - then just learn everything about that. The path will uncover itself after that.

I'm going to really ponder this...I would very much like it to be true, since it sounds good, makes sence and most of all, it would make the path way more clear.

By the way, here are 5000 proven ideas for you to choose from: http://www.inc.com/inc5000/list/2015

Awesome!

 

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