How to be The Startup Hero

How to be The Startup Hero

By Tim Draper(ˈdrāpər)

Don’t do it!

Stop! Take Elon(i’lon) Musk’s advice(ədˈvīs). “Don’t do it!”

Most people are not cut out for being an entrepreneur(-ˈnər,ˌäntrəprəˈno͝or). They are content living out their lives not making waves(wāv), drawing inside the lines, obsessing(əbˈses) about rules(ro͞ol), and staying inside the box(bäks). But you bought this book, or at least you are reading it, so it is possible that you are different. With a little training(ˈtrāniNG), you might become an entrepreneur, a revolutionary(ˌrevəˈlo͞oSHəˌnerē), a Startup Hero. So read on and you might be the one making the waves, drawing the lines, making the rules, and asking, “What box?”

I took a Draper University group of students (who we call “heroes in training” or “HITS”— we dropped the “Super” or “Startup” “S” part of the acronym(ˈakrəˌnim) for obvious(ˈäbvēəs) reasons) down to the Tesla factory in Fremont(ˈfrēˌmänt), California(-nēə,ˌkaləˈfôrnyə) to watch as Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and one of the most extraordinary(ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ˌekstrəˈôrdn-) and successful entrepreneurs in history launched the Model(ˈmädl) S. The plant is enormous(iˈnôrməs). It seems to go for miles(mīl) in all directions. Robots as big as elephants(ˈeləfənt) move around connecting car parts, fastening(ˈfasəniNG) attachments(əˈtaCHmənt), and painting(ˈpāntiNG) the body(ˈbädē).

The launch was to great fanfare(ˈfanˌfer). The Governor(ˈgəvə(r)nər) of California came and cut the ribbon(ˈribən), the first ten cars were rolled off the assembly(əˈsemblē) line for us lucky early “Founder Series(ˈsi(ə)rēz)” buyers, and all 1000 Tesla employees shared a proud(proud) moment as they watched as all their amazing labor(ˈlābər) and efforts came to life.

Elon made some time for us before his big event and answered a few questions. The first question was from one of the Draper University heroes in training. She said, “Mr. Musk, what would you recommend to an entrepreneur who is just starting up who wants to become a successful Startup Hero like you?” Elon hesitated(ˈheziˌtāt). He looked exhausted(igˈzôstid), his hair a little disheveled(diˈSHevəld) and his demeanor(diˈmēnər) exhausted. After all, he had just orchestrated(ˈôrkiˌstrāt) one of the most amazing launches(länCH,lônCH) of one of the most revolutionary vehicles(ˈvēəkəl,ˈvēˌhikəl) the world had ever seen. So, after a deep breath(breTH) and an uncomfortably long pause(pôz), finally he said, “Don’t do it!”

He went on to say that that was the best advice he could give to an aspiring(əˈspī(ə)riNG) entrepreneur, because if you accepted the advice you really aren’t really ready to be an entrepreneur and he would have just saved you from going through a brutal(ˈbro͞otl), extraordinary effort when your heart isn’t really in it. And if you didn’t, well then… send me a business plan.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Startup-Hero-Textbook-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B078HWH29T/