{"id":5699,"date":"2015-09-29T06:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T13:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/?p=5699"},"modified":"2015-09-30T10:20:16","modified_gmt":"2015-09-30T17:20:16","slug":"serial-entrepreneur-finding-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinkapps.com\/blog\/entrepreneurship\/serial-entrepreneur-finding-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice for Serial Entrepreneurs: Build with Purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a serial entrepreneur, you\u2019ve already launched at least one startup. But before you jump into the next one, you should make sure it\u2019s something you really love. Here\u2019s how to build with purpose.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

StartupKit<\/span><\/a> founder\u00a0<\/span>Vlad Stan<\/span><\/a> has had plenty of experience starting startups. But he didn\u2019t find his purpose\u00a0right away. <\/span><\/p>\n

After beginning\u00a0more than 40 projects with his team in the span of 14 years, he managed to tap into many different industries: dating, e-commerce, publishing, advertising, jobs, mail, and \u201calmost anything [else] you can imagine.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Stan said that some of the ventures started to make good money and his team grew from 20 to 100 people in one year. Still, he had that nagging, familiar feeling that it\u00a0wasn\u2019t his thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt some point, I decided I want to spend my time only on things I really love with people I really enjoy being with,\u201d Stan explained. <\/span><\/p>\n

So he sat down and started to really evaluate his life, his work, and his passions to find the place where they all intersect. <\/strong><\/p>\n

This would become StartupKit<\/span> \u2014<\/span> a tool to help you accelerate your learning process as a startup founder. A<\/span>nd it’s an idea that he’s truly passionate about. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"serial<\/p>\n

What Is Purpose and How Do You Find It?<\/h2>\n

When you first think about a purpose-driven business, what comes\u00a0to mind might be the one-for-one model that companies like Warby Parker and Toms champion. That\u2019s a great approach\u00a0to be sure, but what we\u2019re talking about here is finding purpose in a way that\u2019s more personal. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finding your capital-P purpose is all about discovering an idea or mission that makes you <\/span>curious, happy, excited, and dissatisfied<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why dissatisfied? When you think about your big idea, the current state of its industry should leave you feeling like there\u2019s the\u00a0potential for improvement\u00a0\u2014 potential that you can hopefully tap into with your startup. Finding your purpose means finding something that hits all of those notes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Serial entrepreneur Stan found his passion by looking back at his previous startups to find similarities. What he found is that they all share the common thread of learning. <\/span><\/p>\n

“I co-founded\u00a0a global accelerator (Geekcelerator) for startups from all over the world with the intention to bring them to Silicon Valley. I also co-founded\u00a0Tangomeet, a platform where you can learn how to dance the tango online. Tangomeet.com is still growing. I also spend 2-4 hours a day learning new things.”<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

His natural inclination toward learning led him to his current venture, StartupKit. Finding commonalities in your previous projects and ventures is a great way to discover\u00a0a passion that may have been hard to distinguish before. These commonalities could be regarding\u00a0the type of products, the product mission, or the sector the companies are\u00a0in. <\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits of Building for Purpose<\/h2>\n

Finding\u00a0your purpose\u00a0will, of course,\u00a0help you personally. But Stan said it can also guide you to recruit the right people<\/a> and embody your mission in a way that you couldn\u2019t with a startup to which\u00a0you don\u2019t feel personally connected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things that may have been difficult in other business ventures will fall into place more easily because you\u2019ll have a clearer view and stronger motivation. For example, Stan said that it becomes easier to create stories for your brand and attract new users because your passion will be contagious<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"serial<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Act on\u00a0Your Purpose<\/h2>\n

Whether your newfound purpose\u00a0is something you already know a lot about or something that\u2019s completely new, you need to take some steps to establish yourself\u00a0in the space before diving\u00a0in head-first. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stan said, \u201cI don’t think passion is enough to build a business. I think you need to be a little obsessed with\u00a0what you\u2019re doing.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Even as a serial entrepreneur, it’s okay if it takes a while to find the thing you’re obsessed with. But once you find it, here’s what to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Become a Pro<\/h3>\n

For Stan, learning more about the education market led him to finding common patterns\u00a0and important players.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe best resource<\/a> to find out about the future trends is TED.com<\/a>,” he said. “Watching\u00a0<\/span>Sir Ken Robison<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Sugata Mitra<\/span><\/a> or\u00a0<\/span>Daphne Kolle<\/span><\/a>r sharing their visions about the future of learning is like getting smart instantly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Make Friends<\/h3>\n

Finding Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, and other communities is ideal for getting a pulse on the market and the people behind it. Do a lot of listening, and you\u2019ll start to cultivate\u00a0your own voice within these communities that is crafted with your passion in mind. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stan suggests Product Hunt<\/a> as a vibrant, positive community for anyone interested in learning more about the startup world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Build for Customers<\/h3>\n

Even though the driving force in\u00a0the early stages is your own purpose, your big idea won\u2019t be successful unless you\u2019re building for your audience. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stan said, \u201cIt is very rewarding to have a profitable company, hundreds of employees, but nothing can compare with having millions of customers.\u201d Keep listening to your customers and make sure you\u2019re fulfilling their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

To take that a step further, Stan said you should ask yourself, \u201cWho do you want your customer to become?\u201d or \u201cWhat do your customers want to achieve?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The next question is, \u201cHow can I use what I already know to solve their problem?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Stan, it\u2019s important that the customer is someone close to him, like friends,\u00a0family, or even himself<\/a>. By building a product to improve their lives, he has a face for his audience and can see the effects more immediately. Also, by keeping the startup\u00a0close to home, Stan said it\u2019s easier to prioritize your actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"serial<\/a><\/p>\n

How a Serial Entrepreneur Stays Motivated<\/h2>\n

The hard thing about pursuing your passion as a career is detaching yourself from it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Often, when a project is personal, every pitfall is amplified and every criticism can hit really close to home. This is only natural. But, it is possible prepare yourself for the hits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparation will help you build your passion into an obsession, and with that motivation comes some extra gumption you\u2019ll need to stay positive. Stan said this will help you build for tough times. <\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping an eye on the big picture is also a helpful way to help you maintain focus. Display your company mission statement somewhere as a constant reminder of why you\u2019re doing this venture. For example, Stan\u2019s might say \u201cWe\u2019re providing an educational space for entrepreneurs.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

It will be easier to avoid blowing small glitches and setbacks out of proportion when you have the big picture providing a daily dose of perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n

As with any startup, you\u2019ll be eating, sleeping, and breathing the business. But, when it\u2019s something you have a strong personal connection\u00a0to, it can really permeate every fiber\u00a0of your being. That\u2019s why Stan says it\u2019s important to come up for air.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my experience, every time I found myself in the tunnel without seeing the light, I\u2019d take a break\u00a0\u2014 a few days with kids or few days at the mountains, doing something totally different,” he shared. “When I came back, every time I have a solution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Creating a Life Worth Living<\/h2>\n

When he is 80 years old, Stan wants to look back on his life and be able to answer \u201cyes\u201d when asked if he built a life worth living. For him, through every startup, that\u2019s what it all comes down to. <\/span><\/p>\n

Even amidst the routine stages of serial entrepreneurship, building with purpose can lead to a greater impact<\/a> for your users and everyone around you. With a long-term goal for your business and your life, the two will inevitably overlap and hopefully expedite your trip down a motivating path that you were headed to all along.<\/p>\n

Stan concluded, \u201cWith time, you want to do only meaningful things for yourself. You want to make sure every second you invest in something is worth your attention, your experience, and your expertise. I think that\u2019s why you should look for meaning first when you\u2019re an experienced founder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

All images via Unsplash<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a serial entrepreneur, you know how to start companies. But before you jump into the next one, you should make sure it really fulfills your purpose.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":5700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[85,446,445,444,452,443,16,328,448],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAdvice for Serial Entrepreneurs: Build with Purpose<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a serial entrepreneur, you know how to start companies. 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