Startupper: is it better to have a salary today or an exit tomorrow?

I started to be a "Startupper"*, almost by chance, the day after I graduated.

Since then, 12 years have passed, 3 startups launched, 3 exits, various rounds of funding, dozens of hires, and many closed doors (which help to grow, often more than anything else). I wasn't fully aware of it, but from day one I had an innate characteristic that guided me all these years: the ability to give up immediate profit!

Big dreams 

On my journey, I encountered a lot of "potential" entrepreneurs; students with the dream of becoming the new Steve Jobs, friends who ask me to evaluate and support their ideas, managers tired of their jobs who want to jump into the world of entrepreneurship. Among them, I can count on the fingers of one hand those who truly have the will to give up certain profit to dive into initiatives without guarantees, in which they invest only their time (and skills) to create value.

I'm not talking about people who have financial difficulties and can't make ends meet, but much more often wealthy people well established in the workforce. Even those who have a safety net and could "make the jump" landing somewhat "on their feet" struggle to put themselves at risk, if that means giving up the certainty of a paycheck at the end of the month, or not having the guarantee of "everything and right away".

No pain, no gain

The closest parallel that comes to mind is that of an investor trying to earn on risk-free securities: utopia.

It is definitely exciting to think about million-dollar exits starting from ideas born in a basement. Much less exciting to work for years, (often) underpaid, (often) one step away from running out of the few available reserves, with no guarantee of success.

A question that many aspiring entrepreneurs should ask themselves is "why should a potential partner or investor bet on your idea if you don't do it first?"

The importance of believing in it

You need to have faith, and it's difficult to expect it from others if you don't firmly believe in yourself first. Perhaps the best advice for every aspiring "Startupper" comes not from an entrepreneurship guru, but from a more unexpected source:

"Always always always believe in yourself.

Because if you don’t, then who will sweetie?"

– Marilyn Monroe

You need to believe a lot in yourself. You need to have the courage to give up something today to reap a lot tomorrow. This is what every successful "Startupper" I've known in my career does. And it's also the only way I know to create value for companies that start from scratch and have everything to prove.

The role of the Startup Studio

When my partners (my adventure companions with whom I still work today) and I took our first steps in the world of Italian entrepreneurship, we had to build everything from scratch. By everything I mean everything: fundraising, legal, finance, administration, marketing, product development, corporate identity, trademark registrations, calls, internationalization, and much more! All of this definitely helped us grow, but it also required a huge effort on aspects outside our skills and characteristics.

A startup has everything to prove: if you invest time and money in unprofitable activities, the risk is blowing up before you even get to show the light of the product.

I decided to become an advisor for Startup Bakery because if I had had this kind of support at the beginning of my career, I would have been able to start like a rocket! I want to share with new digital entrepreneurs what I have been able to glean from my experiences; the Italian entrepreneurial fabric needs to create networks and synergies to excel again. 

There is a huge untapped potential of professionals who have the fabric of an entrepreneur. The startup studio wants to be an ideal environment not only for generating ideas but also for entrepreneurs. Startuppers are created by working side by side, with on-the-job training; in this way, everyone can truly express their maximum capabilities without being distracted by external activities, which are managed quickly and effectively by the Bakery.

In our small way, we help to bring out new "Startuppers" who will contribute with their ideas and abilities to the well-being of all. I believe it is now quite clear, I will always choose the exit tomorrow and help other potential entrepreneurs invest in themselves.

* My definition of "Startupper": an entrepreneur who follows the establishment of companies, typically digital, typically with the dream of selling them to large companies 🙂