The Big One or Two
by Rui Esteves on 22/11/07 at 8:46 am
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I got pointed in the direction of this article.
Interesting stuff, and perhaps a lesson or two in there for all of us. The problem with it though, is that it describes second-time entrepreneurs as ’serial entrepreneurs.’ That doesn’t make sense to me. The article is really referring to ‘guys who made it big with their first company and got really, really loaded and now are living it up and starting a new venture with fat wallets and swollen egos.”
I started my first business when I was thirteen, exporting surfwear and accessories to Portugal. There have been a few since then, and along the way you start learning stuff… like what works, what you’re good at and what you don’t want to be doing. Learning is the fun part, and what that article really conveys well is that we need to understand our successes and failures before we can really start to know what we’re doing.
The ’serial entrepreneurs’ are all around us… some more successful than others, and some gaining more publicity than the rest. Each one has a story, and a lesson to teach. Suck it all in.
The ‘big one’ comes with a cocktail of good ideas, luck, timing and hard work. Don’t wait for it, it’s not going to find you. Just be fighting fit for when you find it.
Rui Esteves was the co-founder of Vida e Caffé, one of the fastest growing quick service food businesses in South Africa. After selling Vida, Rui created Collective São Gabriel, a luxury beer range with a strong emphasis on traditional and natural brewing. Rui is out to change the world as we know it. View more articles by Rui Esteves.
