Ali Mese is CEO and founder of Piqers, a startup consulting company with the slogan “Piqers, a startup for every startup.” After two years of entrepreneurship, Ali shared the difficulties he had faced—the same ones any young person wanting to start a business will encounter.

‘We want you to have a stable life!’

Previously, I, Ali Mese, had a job countless young people dreamed of: high pay, constant travel, and five-star hotels on business trips…

The first opposition that I, or any young person, encounter when deciding to leave a “stable job” to start a business usually comes from parents. Parents all want their children to have well-paid jobs with good advancement prospects, especially families without a business tradition. Explaining to parents why you want to start a business can sometimes be incredibly difficult!

Next is friends, people busy climbing the ladder of prestige and living glamorous office lives. When they learn you quit to start a business, some will think you have “a problem,” while others support you. But beware: every gathering may bring a barrage of questions—“How's the startup? Going great?”, “Ready to treat us? You must have landed a big investment,” “Looking good, business owner—treat your friends today!” You may not know how to answer because entrepreneurship is a long journey. Do not pressure yourself by constantly worrying what others think.

Your business will grow gradually, but more slowly than you imagine.

You will grow increasingly exhausted when people say that building a successful startup like Facebook or Twitter takes at least a decade! At those times, you may only feel comfortable among fellow startup founders. Truly, only entrepreneurs understand one another.

Money, money and money

Social pressure and loneliness are nothing! The most terrifying problem in life will soon knock on your company's door, namely ‘out of money’. That stress destroys your decision-making and daily effectiveness, making you restless and desperate to succeed and earn money. One day I could not even afford drinking water. Reluctantly, I had to split the bill when eating with my girlfriend.

This is only the beginning of a life full of challenges!

5 questions before plunging into entrepreneurship

Ask yourself these five questions before diving into entrepreneurship

Looking back, there are five things I wish I had known before beginning this arduous journey, and I believe every young person must ask themselves these five questions before entering the business world:

1. Am I Ready to Face Social Pressure?

If no one in your family or circle of friends has started a business, they may not understand your aspirations, and pressure will keep mounting. Yet what you say only holds others’ attention for a few seconds. In busy lives, they do not have time to watch every little thing you do. If you worry too much about what others think, you waste time trying to appear successful instead of focusing on your business. Here is a mantra for you: “Let it go!”

2. Am I “forever alone,” or do I have an understanding, supportive partner?

It is sad to see many people in the startup community lose love along their entrepreneurial journey. Starting a business brings a ton of challenges, your mind is flooded with millions of thoughts, and no one, not even your partner, understands what is happening!

If you are truly “forever alone,” never mind. Otherwise, help your partner understand that sometimes you do not even have time for a kiss, just a simple kiss, let alone a passionate French kiss.

3. Do you have enough money for at least one year?

Have you set aside enough money for a year of entrepreneurship? Good—now multiply it by at least three, because money will disappear much faster than you imagine. In just one year, countless unexpected costs arise: accounting, auditing, legal fees, broken phones, laptop and electrical equipment problems, not to mention personal expenses such as medication, relationship-building, food…

Be ready to get used to a simple life, eat frugally and learn to count every small coin, because the final months before your money runs out will be so difficult that you will lie awake worrying every night.

Success comes slowly, while money runs out quickly. Spend intelligently and calculate carefully from the very first days!

4. Is it okay to sleep only a few hours a day?

Escaping office life, many young entrepreneurs have thought they were finally free to work wherever and whenever they liked—how comfortable! I thought so too, until I read Lori Greiner's words: “Entrepreneurs are people willing to work 80 hours a week to avoid working for someone else 40 hours a week.”

At first, I was so excited about my idea that I could hardly wait for morning to come so I could keep working. But then stagnation set in. I was overworking and had no time to implement all my ideas. The more I worked, the later I went to bed, the less I slept, and the more exhausted I became. As a result, after every two or three days, I would have a day when I could not manage anything at all.

The real story behind entrepreneurship is a long succession of exhausting days, sleepless nights, painful failures, and countless fresh starts.

The road to success is by no means short; it is actually quite long. And for most of us, it feels very… very… very… long.

5. What is success?

Everyone has different priorities in life. Some put money first, while others seek balance. Consequently, everyone defines success differently, and the difficulty of each entrepreneurial path also varies. If money and fame are what you desire most, you will have a very hard time.

Remember Hemingway’s words: “The feeling of completing a journey is wonderful, but the experiences along the way are truly what matters most.”

Successful entrepreneurs are not necessarily those who make millions of dollars. Thousands of people have fulfilled or are fulfilling their dreams in other ways. They live fully, earn a moderate income, and are very satisfied even though their names never appear in a newspaper.

The entrepreneurial journey will turn your life upside down and leave it in chaos. Whatever happens, enjoy the ride and pursue your dreams, because Tony Gaskin once said, ‘If you do not have a dream, someone will hire you to fulfill theirs.’

According to Baomoi