I did not even manage to fail as an entrepreneur - taking another route?

[Ywan]

Hello,

I have been trying to get a company off the ground for more than eight years now. My record is non-existent because not only have I not been successful, I don't even have a failure to show for it. The reason is that in eight years I have never managed to get beyond the planning stage. Whenever it came to the point of practical implementation, I discarded the current idea and worked on a new one. There are so many options and I'm kind of overwhelmed to settle on one.

I've become quite desperate in the last couple of months and have been thinking about whether entrepreneurship is the right thing for me at all. Basically, I still think it is the way to go, but since I'm a very security-conscious person, I'm currently considering whether it wouldn't be easier for me to take a prefabricated path, so to speak - i.e. to study dentistry and then open my own practice. The advantage is that there is no free market. You can't practice without a propriate degree. In addition, many dentists will retire in the next few years (at least where I live). The tuition fees of 1000 bucks per year are also quite low. So I won't have any debt after graduation.

But it would take at least six years to get the degree, and then I would be 44 years old. Since I also have a family with two young children, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Especially since these six years would be difficult financially. I could work/make money on the side, but would have to deal mainly with my studies.
I could make good money as a dentist later, but it is physically and mentally demanding work, trading time for money. (There are, of course, many alternatives here, where one could earn a similar amount of money - keyword freelancing - although I've tried that too and again, never started in the first place.)

I guess I'm so attracted to this idea right now because I haven't gotten anything done in the last eight years, and it's been weighing me down and depressing me a lot.
Anyway, I know you guys can't make this decision for me and I don't want you to. But I think some alternative opinions would be good to give me the big picture.

Thanks a lot for your opinion about this.

 

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[theguy22]

Hello,

I have been trying to get a company off the ground for more than eight years now. My record is non-existent because not only have I not been successful, I don't even have a failure to show for it. The reason is that in eight years I have never managed to get beyond the planning stage. Whenever it came to the point of practical implementation, I discarded the current idea and worked on a new one. There are so many options and I'm kind of overwhelmed to settle on one.

I've become quite desperate in the last couple of months and have been thinking about whether entrepreneurship is the right thing for me at all. Basically, I still think it is the way to go, but since I'm a very security-conscious person, I'm currently considering whether it wouldn't be easier for me to take a prefabricated path, so to speak - i.e. to study dentistry and then open my own practice. The advantage is that there is no free market. You can't practice without a propriate degree. In addition, many dentists will retire in the next few years (at least where I live). The tuition fees of 1000 bucks per year are also quite low. So I won't have any debt after graduation.

But it would take at least six years to get the degree, and then I would be 44 years old. Since I also have a family with two young children, I'm not sure if this is a good idea. Especially since these six years would be difficult financially. I could work/make money on the side, but would have to deal mainly with my studies.
I could make good money as a dentist later, but it is physically and mentally demanding work, trading time for money. (There are, of course, many alternatives here, where one could earn a similar amount of money - keyword freelancing - although I've tried that too and again, never started in the first place.)

I guess I'm so attracted to this idea right now because I haven't gotten anything done in the last eight years, and it's been weighing me down and depressing me a lot.
Anyway, I know you guys can't make this decision for me and I don't want you to. But I think some alternative opinions would be good to give me the big picture.

Thanks a lot for your opinion about this.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_58zPgArb4

 

[Ywan]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_58zPgArb4

I already know that video, thanks.
The problem is not, that I don't know, what I should do - the problem is, that I can't get myself to do it.

A combination of inertia, self-doubt, and the feeling that I've already wasted so much time and therefore need to get results quickly (which of course is only partly in my hands) prevents any progress. That's why I considered taking a different path in the first place - in this case, studying.

I mean, it's not what I want. But I haven't managed to do what I want in eight years. So maybe I don't want it and only think I want it, or maybe I have the wrong goals in mind, and therefore the wrong motivation.

I don't know. There are so many options and I just can't manage to commit to one option, which then in turn only increases my self-doubt.

 

[Leo Hartas]

I already know that video, thanks.
The problem is not, that I don't know, what I should do - the problem is, that I can't get myself to do it.

A combination of inertia, self-doubt, and the feeling that I've already wasted so much time and therefore need to get results quickly (which of course is only partly in my hands) prevents any progress. That's why I considered taking a different path in the first place - in this case, studying.

I mean, it's not what I want. But I haven't managed to do what I want in eight years. So maybe I don't want it and only think I want it, or maybe I have the wrong goals in mind, and therefore the wrong motivation.

I don't know. There are so many options and I just can't manage to commit to one option, which then in turn only increases my self-doubt.

I can understand your fears and self doubt. I would suggest you try a micro side hustle just to take some action, gather some experience and eventually self confidence. It doesn't have to be in the direction you may eventually want to go, but it's sending out a 'ping', taking action.

It can be really small. My neighbour and friend sold old pennies on Ebay. He'd buy a big mixed load on Ebay, sift any that may be more valuable, then make up smaller packs and resell them again on Ebay for quite a profit. He shipped worldwide, to collectors, museums, even film studios looking for props. He learnt presentation, market costs and prices, supply and demand, customer service, etc, etc.

Starting super small takes little risk but can give you a big insight in direction.