Hope Is Not A Business Model

When I think about a new idea for a startup- and when I put those thoughts into practice, lines between emotion and business go from black and white to blurs. It all starts with pesky feelings- passion, hope, boundless energy and even love come to mind when I am restlessly working on the next big project that I can’t imagine my life without . It’s easy to feel, because I love what I do. Building a startup has been a crucial part of my professional and personal life.

In my startup, I want to hope. Maybe it’s a natural instinct for me. However, I really try not to. I consider myself an individual with grand visions. I’ve always had a big imagination and a positive spirit. I think that resilience and optimism are key personality traits for successful founders. However, I can’t just hope users will take to the site, or even hope that advertisers will pay for access/ visibility to my audience. My father told me once “hope is not a business model,” and he was right.

The only clear line I can draw about hope is that I can hope for things that are out of my control. But my startup’s monetization strategy should never be out of my control, therefore, I only execute based on plan and measured feedback from bringing a product to market.

I have a need to build a realistic business model. I have no need to hope.