The opinions of the entrepreneur are expressed.
I never thought parents and beginners were in common until I saw that I navigated at the same time. In PayPal and Ford, like a mother and a person in the technological place in the technological place, my work is always aimed at solving problems.
However, the launch of an application designed to help families clear, showed me something I did not expect: a start and raising a child is really similar.
Both require the ability to work under patience, adaptation and extreme uncertainty. Both require you to make decisions with incomplete information, trust your instincts and learn from constant failures. And as parenting, building a start, forces you to think outside of yourself because the result is not about it you WITHOUT ATTEMP; About creating something that helps others solve problems.
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Lesson 1: The structure creates freedom
When I was a single mother, I had to juggle the emotional new reality of the work, my daughter’s schedule and less support. It was necessary to have a system to replace the mental burden to manage everything. It encounters many parents and especially mothers – this secret mental load. This is what makes my parents cause a smart family management app that helps to organize their work, schedules and household duties.
In parenting, the structure gives children to feel valid. The same thing is true at a start. Chaos is given without the structure. In the beginning, we need to create a system that our little team can move rapidly without stepping into each other’s toes. We have set CLEAR communication protocols, consistent sprint cycles and success dimensions. He did not limit this creativity, but in fact he encouraged him.
I came to see the structure as a means of strengthening, but for strengthening. The Foundation has a much room for comforting, which is more likely to be considered.
Lesson 2: Iteration is the way
When I had a little daughter, I was very worried about getting parent ‘right’. I read the books, I wanted advice and were rising over decisions. But it is true, a parenting line is not a way, instead of constant adjustments. Things that work a year may not work next. Children are developing and you have to develop with them. A lot like the program!
Startings are not different. When we first started our application, I had a clear meeting on how it works. But once we started using real parents, we set up something wrong with the wrong thing. We’ve been very likely. Our first chore management system was tough and did not take into account how different families work. Parents wanted more customization and children wanted more to gamif. We need to break it and rebuild it based on the actual user behavior.
Lesson? Perfection is a myth. You need to set up, let go, test and clean – repeat. Whether an application or lack of a child, the goal is not to improve your going, not to get it “right” from the beginning.
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Lesson 3: You always need a village
I believed that I had to manage everything with myself in both home and at work. This is most of us, especially our women, we say.
As a parent, I learned the difficult way that is trying to do everything is a quick way to work alone. I had to learn to take life and more responsibility for my daughter and leaning on our support network.
This mentality turn fell on my start. First, I tried to be everywhere at the same time: product, marketing, funds and handling with user support. Was not sustainable. Learning to rely on my team to trust, and bring to professionals needed, not only work better; He made me a better leader.
I think this is your co-founder. It is important to find a co-founder that vision and company values with you, because they will be part of your village.
Both beginners and families are both shared by the responsibility. No man or can not take or carry full weight.
Lesson 4: Emotional Strength for Victory
The beginnings are an emotional rollercoaster and parenting (especially within the years of teen years!). You can have a week that everything scored, just to jump into chaos by something unexpected.
Solving the solution in both cases? Firmness and stickiness.
I had moments as a founder I thought, I’m not good at it! How can I solve this problem? I had moments like a mother I thought, I have no idea what I do. But I learned that the difficult moments passed. The way forward is to continue even if you do not have all your answers.
Daikality should never fail; The goal is to not adapt to failure without losing his feeling.
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Lesson 5: The mission gives a lot
Both, both parent and start, you need to release your ego. This is not about you; It’s about people, users or customers you’re serving.
As a parent, my job is not to zoom in a child reflecting Me – It is to lift a child who has become their own people. My goal is not to not build my goal application I WITHOUT ATTEMP; This is to build something that really helps families. Since the best ideas are often available, but not what users say I needed me.
The work of a builder as a parent is to create something superior to them. To build something in the movement, bring it up and eventually grow out of them.
Build a new vehicle created me a better parent. Parenthood made me a better builder. Both roles have forced me to adapt me, accept the imperfection and put a mission over the ego.
If you are a founder, if you learn from parenting: The structure creates freedom, iteration is key and durability is your largest asset. If you are a parent, you take a lesson from the beginning: Do not leave the perfection, do not be afraid of pivot if necessary.
Regardless of the cultivation of a child or a company, the real goal is the same: create something that makes sense to create something meaningful, and something that makes the world a little better than you found.