Life of a technology entrepreneur is no longer a star-buck

In New York for a few days selling my wares and it becomes increasingly apparent that being a tech entrepreneur is much harder than first thought.

While I have been building technology solutions for years, this is the first time I have been brave enough to go out into the market and put my name behind a brand that is solely mine.

Procrastination and not believing in yourself

There is many reasons for that, but mostly it has to do with procrastination, not believing in myself enough and listening to the people that say technology start-ups are too hard, there is too much competition and the big guys have a lot of money that ensures that they go to market much faster.

This may be true in part, but it isn’t the narrative for all tech startups. In fact, I was speaking to a friend on Friday and he just secured the sale of his 5 year old tech startup for 40 times revenue.

Marketing tech startup

Not bad for a marketing tech startup that never quite hit the market as it should have. Sometimes it is timing and other times it is not finding the right way to communicate the value of the technology to the buyers, aka marketing.

As I listen to groovy music playing the background at Gregorys Coffee in New York, I am remind of how much being a tech startup has changed. If you are still going to Starbucks, then you are perhaps not moving with the times. Tech startups are different. They don’t do what everyone else does and they like good coffee. The latter helps you spend hours each day in front of a computer screen.

I’m surrounded by people on Apple’s which still seems to be the first-choice for startup entrepreneurs. They all sip their coffee as they go through their emails, post on social media and do work in an environment that feels the pace.

Go-to-market

In one way, I am counting the days to get this product to market, and in other ways I frightened that perhaps I too will be another casualty. My investment in technology has been large, and I am stretched with my time like no tomorrow.

There are many hours of waking up in the middle of the night thinking about my next steps, wondering what I could do better and of course coming up with great ideas that will hopefully escalate Robotic Marketers ability to capture the market.

I’m ready, albeit a little hesitant of what is to come. I am challenged beyond belief and totally out of my comfort zone but at the same time I am crazily awaiting the arrival. I wonder whether everyone feels the same about their second, third…fifth businesses?