Everyone Gets Fired - Is entrepreneurship worth the risk?

How to avoid the uncertainties of corporate life.

In the grand game of corporate life, there’s a universally understood truth – you're only as noteworthy as your last success. Regardless of how dazzling your resume, how sterling your performance record, the tides can shift suddenly and render you irrelevant. At some point, it's likely that everyone, no matter how competent or dedicated, gets shown the door. This constant presence of an expiration date could be the very nudge you need to break free and embrace entrepreneurship.

Reflecting back to the dawn of our own venture, a conversation with one of my business partners remains etched in my memory. As we kicked our company off I said "There are risks in life and risks worth taking. This is a risk worth taking." His response stuck with me: "The only real risk is not doing this, as everyone eventually gets fired."

This simple yet profound belief underscored an essential element of entrepreneurship – despite the palpable risks, establishing your own business could be the most viable insurance against the uncertainties that define corporate life.

Launching a business isn't an easy feat. This is a truth thoroughly reinforced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), painting a picture where failure often outpaces success. In the tumultuous first two years, nearly 10-20% of businesses meet their demise. By the five-year mark, almost half have disappeared, and the ten-year milestone sees around two-thirds shuttered. The odds of creating a multi-million dollar venture from ground zero that lasts? At best, lingering in single-digit territory and at worst, likely the same odds as winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning.

Facing these formidable odds, one might question why even try it? Because like my business partner said, everyone eventually gets fired. So, why not take the bull by the horns, control your own destiny, and start your own enterprise? Yes, there's a risk of failure, but the worst that happens is you likely end up firing yourself, with hopefully more compassion than corporate America.

This narrative is not intended to paint a bleak picture of entrepreneurship. On the contrary, it's an encouragement to embrace reality, measure risk, and appreciate that failure is a facet of corporate life just as it is in entrepreneurship. The key difference? In your own venture, you're more than a statistic. You’re the captain, the pathfinder, the master of your own fate.

Luck, no doubt, plays a significant role in entrepreneurial success. But other critical components often don't receive their due credit: dedication, perseverance, flexibility, and hard work. In stark contrast to corporate America, where factors beyond your control often dictate your success, entrepreneurship empowers you to control your own destiny, regardless of the outcome.

So what are you waiting for? A hand to appear from the skies pointing you in the right direction? You know what you need to do. So do it. It will never be a good time to start your own business. But it's also never a good time to get fired. This is not to say that you should throw caution to the wind and quit your job. No, there are many ways to start and build your company which I detail in my book. Choose one that works for you but get started now!