A Successful Startup Needs A Thick-Skinned Entrepreneur

The startup rage is real. And the entrepreneurs are spunky risk-takers and innovators. We have in the past few years learnt a lot about the foundation of entrepreneurship and how it works. It may be different for different people from different industries but every entrepreneur agrees on one aspect of it—maintaining a thick skin in business.

Risk-taking is difficult

Experts believe that entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be in control and keep composure at all times. Bala Deshpande, Sr MD of New Enterprise Associates, believes entrepreneurs put themselves out there facing rejection day in and day out and that is why it is very necessary for entrepreneurs to be thick-skinned. “People who actually survive four-five years being entrepreneurs, hats off to them. Entrepreneurs put themselves at risk the most. It is very easy to be in a corporate world, but as entrepreneurs, people face many more difficulties like procuring finances, making a product etc,” she said.

“Go out there, try it, give it your best shot and see where it takes you”

Entrepreneurs are forthright

Every entrepreneurial journey is different from one another. Having one is like having an opinion that only you believe in. Priyanka Khimani, who runs a law firm Khimani Associates which recently merged with Anand and Anand Associates, is of the opinion that since being an entrepreneur means that one is opinionated and forthright, it is imperative for one to be thick-skinned as well.

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“Being an entrepreneur means that you are thinking differently from what the others are thinking and that’s why they are not entrepreneurs, but you are the one that’s running the show and all of that requires a lot of grit, determination and conviction in your thought and idea. You are going to be faced with a lot of criticism and negativity and that’s why you need to have a thick skin to continue to believe in your idea,” Priyanka said.

Believe in your idea

Another entrepreneur Ishira Mehta, founder of CropConnect, which is an agro-based startup, also believes in being tough as an entrepreneur. “You are always trying to do something different. People mostly don’t trust in your idea, they think that it is silly, so unless you are sure about your idea, there will come thousand reasons to not carry it forward.”

She feels that one just needs to “go out there, try it, give it your best shot and see where it takes you”.

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