"Zero to One"... the Mantra of Your Startup's Beginning (1)

This is the inaugural post of my Series on Getting From Zero to One.

After much soul-searching and deliberation you finally decide to launch your new venture.

The big day arrives- cue the inspired morning jog, strong cup of coffee, brand-new laptop, dog-eared copy of The Art of the Start, and, and... and now what?

A thousand questions crowd your mind: How and where to begin? Who to hire? How to raise funds? Who to call? Who to trust? Who to help me with my model? Who to partner with? It goes on and on. Some never make it past this first day, overwhelmed by the anxiety of it all- most just muddle through somehow in a perpetual state of nervous tension. It doesn't have to be like this.

If you’re going through this or are about to launch your first startup, this series of posts is for you. I was inspired to write it by the many young entrepreneurs I meet who are trying to make their way through this "blessed warm fog" (as Conrad put it).  It’s the beginning after all- and one of the most difficult and misunderstood phases of a startup’s lifecycle. It requires some of the most concrete tasks and yet some of your most creative thinking all at once.  You are young perhaps and have not done this before. Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed and confused?

It's time to take the first steps, one at a time. I like to call this  ‘Going from Zero to One’.

This series is essentially going to be a Buddhist chant with a singular mantra, to be repeated in a steady, rhythmic tone, over and over again…. Zero to One, Zero to One, Zero to One.... I will explain, I promise.

For Part Two in this Series, click here.

Comments

[Kartik.]

Zero to One! Very cool :)