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Entrepreneurs have become the culture heroes of our time, as
Business Week frontier has noted a number of times in its print
and online editions. The endless hours and personal sacrifices are
badges of honor for ambitious small-business founders. Here, a reader
chastises us for not giving enough weight to the downside of the
hell-bent-for-IPO entrepreneurial culture. (All letters are edited for
style and length.)
To the editors:
Thousands of potential and current entrepreneurs and their employees
read your publication and depend upon you to convey the "culture of the
entrepreneur." While the details of each entrepreneur's story are
slightly different, the message is quite clear: Work 20 hours a day,
get no sleep, take no vacations, don't exercise or socialize, fly
around making deals, and take your company public.
What you do-or do not-write has an impact on the
entrepreneurial culture. I never read about the entrepreneur's spouse
or partner going crazy-or worse-leaving the relationship, because
the entrepreneur is never around. I never read about the cost to the
entrepreneur of not having a social life, not taking vacations, or
engaging in any sort of physical exercise. I never read about the
entrepreneurs who sacrificed everything, including their family,
friends, and health, got rich, and were happy, truly happy.
I talk with entrepreneurs every day, and I know the real stories. I
rarely hear an entrepreneur say that sacrificing so much was ultimately
worth it. We read about the one-in-a-million who actually
won the proverbial Holy Grail. We rarely hear about those who failed
and lost the things that were most important to them. When will we get
to hear the story from the side of the spouse, partner, friend, or
employee that bears the burden of dealing with irritable, cranky, and
evasive entrepreneurs? The new and continual reference to "Internet
time" isn't making matters any better. The entrepreneurs I talk to are
in such a hurry to get to "someday" that they never stop to enjoy the
moment. I was drawn in to the culture of working long hours to chase a
dream. I found out quickly that it was costing me dearly in all areas
of my life, including my business. I wasn't as creative, effective, or
sharp. I knew it wasn't the answer to a fulfilling life, but the pull
of the entrepreneurial culture is strong.
About five years ago, I had an awakening. I realized that my
"someday" was nowhere in my daily planner. I was fortunate to see this
at a young age, because unfortunately entrepreneurs usually go through
years of pain and frustration before they figure this out. I saw that I
was living my life based on a "someday" that included a successful
business, happy marriage, four great kids, a big house with a white
picket fence, Volvo station wagon, and two fluffy dogs.
That "someday" may have very well come, true. However, when it did, I
would also have to deal with unhappy employees, my kids getting in
trouble at school, a mortgage up to my neck, a car that wouldn't start
when it gets too cold, and dog messes in the yard. And chances are that
I would be stuck cleaning up the messes. When my "someday" arrived,
would I be celebrating its arrival or looking for my next "someday?"
Today's entrepreneurs think it will all be worth it because they
will be able to make their millions and retire at 35. Undoubtedly,
that will happen to a few of them. Regardless, they miss the sweetness
of the journey. I have taken a personal vow as an entrepreneur to
achieve
success in business as a result of having a full and rich life. I
believe practicing yoga, running road races, playing basketball,
playing in a golf league, reading, cooking wonderful meals,
volunteering in my community, studying Mandarin Chinese, taking voice
lessons, taking plenty of vacations, spending time with friends and
family, and spending an abundance of quality time with my wife are the
ingredients that will make my startup (which I call The Future
Scrapbook) and my life full and rich.
Imagine how amazing it would be to work in a company that demanded
such a life for its employees. Imagine if that was the formula for
success.
Nicholas Hall
Castro Valley, Calif.
nick@futurescrapbook.com
Editor's Response:
Your points about the sacrifices
entrepreneurs exact of themselves and others are well-taken. Business
Week frontier Online has been writing about these issues since its
inception in August, 1998, in our Work
& Family columns, and this is an area where we are expanding our
coverage. The first installment of a new monthly column by New York
writer Pam Mendels addressed some of these issues (See Business Week
frontier Online, "Simple
Benefits Go Far in Balancing Work and Family," Jan. 31, 2000). In
December, our Entrepreneur Moms series ("The New Mommy
Track: Chief Executive, Cook, and Bottle Washer" and "Good News for
Entrepreneur Moms: Companies and Babies Grow Up") also looked at
the difficulties entrepreneurial women face reconciling their ambitions
and their children's needs.
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