"How Do You Get Over the Fear of Quitting Your Job to Start a Startup?" - The Wrong Question Every Entrepreneur Asks

The courage to jump

I saw this question in one of the entrepreneur groups I'm part of (and it comes up in some variation, I'd say twice a week):

"How do you get over the fear of quitting your job to start a startup? This isn't a lead-in to some monologue about how to do it - I'm genuinely asking the question. I feel like every additional day at the corporate job is killing my soul - the company is good, don't get me wrong, but I got slapped in the face when I realized this isn't for me. In recent weeks, I've started sitting down and thinking about what would interest me and make me feel good, and starting something of my own suddenly feels so right. So how do you stop being afraid?"

I read this and immediately understood - this question isn't about fear. It's about something much more fundamental.

The person asking knows what they don't want ("corporate that's killing their soul"), but doesn't know what they do want. "Something of my own" isn't a strategy - it's a feeling. How do you jump toward an undefined direction?

Let's take an example of two entrepreneurs:

The "garage entrepreneur" - 22 years old, still living with parents, with virtually zero expenses and zero obligations. They can afford to work without pay, have almost unlimited time to try and fail, and zero financial pressure. For them, "jumping into the water" is less scary and objectively, less risky.

Then there's the mature female entrepreneur - 40 years old, with a mortgage and three children. She can't work without pay, her time is limited, and she has financial responsibilities. "Jumping into the water" for her isn't a matter of courage - it's a matter of financial suicide (statistically, 99% of ventures fail, right?).

Here's the problem with all the "just jump into the water" slogans:

The responses to that post were predictable: "Jump in!", "You need to be brave!", "If not now, then when?", "Life's too short to be afraid!" All the classic slogans.

And there's also pressure from investors who want to see "full commitment." And I understand them - they're risking their money, and that's not trivial. In their eyes, the risk of their money should be balanced against the entrepreneur risking their livelihood, their job, their financial stability. The equation should be balanced.

But here's exactly the problem:

While the garage entrepreneur can really risk everything (because they don't have much to lose), the 40-year-old mother simply can't. And this doesn't mean she's less committed or that investing in her is riskier - because maybe what she doesn't bring in the form of "work hours and zero salary," she brings something else to the table.

Her twenty years of experience, network of connections, deep understanding of the market, and maturity - all of these actually make the investor's investment less risky, not more. She doesn't need to risk her stability to prove commitment - she proves it in other ways.

The reality looks different:

Instead of asking "how do you stop being afraid," the right question is "how do you do it right." First, you need to know where you want to go - and especially why. You can't build a roadmap without a clear destination. What's your WHY? What problem are you passionate about solving? Where are your passions?

Next, analyze your circumstances. What can you do and what can't you do? Accordingly, build a work plan - just like any company and venture. Validate the problem the venture wants to solve and your solution. And if you don't know what your passions are? Create an MVP for that too - Minimum Viable Passion.

The most important thing I've learned after 20+ years in developing ventures:

You don't have to "jump off the cliff into freezing water." It's really very scary to lose your grip on solid ground. Maybe there's a ladder or cable car you can use to get down to the water? True, it might take a little longer, but it's much less scary (and dangerous).

Experience and maturity can turn what seems like a disadvantage (can't "suicide for the venture") into a real advantage. Instead of jumping and hoping, you build a stable and secure path.

This is exactly what I do in YourMarket.Fit with my trainees: we define the Why and build the work plan for how to get where we want to go. This isn't cowardice - it's wisdom.

Anyone who thinks otherwise? Ask any experienced entrepreneur how they actually did it - not how they like to tell the story of how they did it...

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For those who want to build this bridge methodically - let's talk