Why I Might Quit Being an Entrepreneur | Entrepreneur Chronicles #12
I’m going to be honest, I really don’t think being an entrepreneur is as cool as everyone says at all… if anything, it kind of sucks.
Don’t get me wrong, like everything else, it has its pros and cons. I totally understand why people love it and are addicted to it… but I also see why it completely discourages some or even burns people out!
In this new post of my Entrepreneur Chronicles, I am reflecting out loud about my situation as an entrepreneur, and whether it’s something I would keep doing or not…
I have never in my life dreamed of being an entrepreneur. I hadn’t thought it was an option until fairly recently, and even now that I’m in it, I don’t even know if I’m good at it!
You know how some kids/teenagers just have that in their DNA? From 8 years old they are selling lemonades or candies, doing jobs in their neighborhood, and negotiating their compensation… I was not like that, and I’m still not like that.
Reflecting on my journey, I became an entrepreneur because I made the choice to live a specific lifestyle. I had savings, and jumping into entrepreneurship then felt like the “best” way to live this life in order to have as much freedom as possible.
I believe I also made this choice to prove something to myself. During my time in Miami, I met a lot of regular people running their own business, doing things they loved, and being financially successful (not talking millions, just a nice salary to live comfortably). At the same time, I was reading a lot of books and watching many videos about personal growth and fulfillment, and I think it sparked something in me… “Is that something I could do myself?”
The truth is, if I had to do it again, I don’t know if I would. The main struggle I have with my current situation is that I’m not making enough money. I also hate the fact that it’s pretty much impossible to promote any online business without creating content.
Knowing what I know now, I would do it differently. I told my former employer in 2020 that I would leave in 2021. Looking back, I should have prepared this transition better. I was already working on something, but it wasn’t stable/sustainable yet. I should have probably looked for a part-time remote job while taking actionable steps to become an entrepreneur.
I’m considering doing so at the moment. But with everything going on in the world, it might not be easy—it would have been much easier back in 2021 for sure. I’m not giving up on being an entrepreneur just yet because there is a lot that I like and I have a strong WHY to keep me going… but I’m curious to see how long I will be doing it. I guess it depends on the “success” I will have… and by that I mean if I can acquire the skills which will allow me to sustainably generate enough revenue.
The thing is, I’m not an entrepreneur because I love it. I don’t care about creating my own business and the status that comes with it, I don’t care about hiring people, building something incredible and leaving a legacy. I don’t care about becoming a multi-millionaire and all that. Hey, I don’t even care about being my own boss!
The reasons I am an entrepreneur at the moment are:
It gives me COMPLETE freedom. I do what I want, when I want, where I want. This is THE most important thing for me right now. A job would most likely put constraints on my life, which I don’t want.
I love the process of having to figure things out as I go, always needing to learn something and then applying it. Never knowing what curveball I would have to deal with. I find the challenge of building something very exciting. I never get bored.
I also get to work on things I enjoy doing, things that bring me joy and fulfillment and that I’m curious about.
But here is the thing, if tomorrow someone knocks at my door (not that I have one but… 😅) and tells me:
“Jeremie, we know what you can do. We are a young startup, we want you to work with us in order to build [the product]. We want you to focus on X, Y, and Z, and as long as you deliver what we need on time and keep us posted on your progress and we can have a weekly catch-up, we don’t care how much you work, when or where you do the job. No need to have calls with clients unless you need to. We will pay you [insert a salary I’m happy with] for that. It’s going to be great!”
Assuming it is a domain and product I’m interested in and I feel excited to work on… I would go for it right away!
No more having to promote/sell myself and my services via social media.
No more worrying about when the next paycheck will be coming.
I would most likely be dabbling with a few side hustles, trying things here and there, but it would be just for the fun of it, with no pressure of making money and anything else out of it… it would purely be to satisfy the nerdiness and curiosity.
I would have - in my eyes - the best of both worlds. The financial security of having a job and the ability to focus solely on the things I want (and ignore stuff like sales, marketing, etc.) while having the freedom that comes with working for yourself. The only thing would be to make sure I don’t get bored too quickly (which happens with me, I need to be challenged), but that’s why I specify ‘young startup’ in the pitch, usually at this stage you have to juggle so many things you can’t get bored for a few years.
What’s ironic is that the job I’m describing here is 90% what I had with my former employer 😅 But after 6+ years there, I was feeling stagnant. The work wasn’t fun anymore, I could do it without thinking and I wasn’t challenged at all. I also see now that I’m a bit of a lone wolf. I do better by myself or with just a few people… but when too many people are involved, teams, managers etc… I find it less enjoyable because of all the consequent calls and reporting involved.
I’m just not sure this dream job I’m describing exists, as in all honesty, I’m aware that it would require a crazy level of trust from the company to give me so much freedom, and I believe trust has to be earned… but if you are reading this and you have something for me, please email me, I will prove my worth!
I’m not gonna quit just yet on being an entrepreneur… I see it as a puzzle to solve and I love the challenge of figuring this problem out. I also genuinely know that I can help others live a more meaningful life! However, reality is that life costs money, and I need to figure out a way to sustain my current lifestyle. How? We will see…
👉 This is part of my Entrepreneur Chronicles—real stories, real lessons. Dive into the full series here.
I can relate. It sounds like you're taking it a step or two at a time and allowing yourself to notice and solve along the way. What is your most important outcome with this way of living?
What helped me a little was when I stopped thinking about what I'm doing in terms of "careers", "jobs" and "roles". I've allowed myself to recognize that I'm clear on what I do NOT want and I'm out here living with the freedom that I DO want. And... I'm finding ways to do work that pays for it. I don't know if I would call it a business, career, job... I'm just making it work for now. Money is always, always, always on the mind and I have to work hard at making it stretch, in order to have the freedom that I am looking for. I give full acknowledgment to all of my feelings about it. For me, I also recognize that if I gave myself back to an employed role, where my schedule was pre-determined, then the money would solve one set of challenges, but then I would have a new set of challenges with my lost freedom.