This week marks 4 months since I left employment as a management consultant with @Accenture

I set out to have a 'discovery & mobilisation' phase - so here's a stab at some of my findings

Sharing my 5 greatest learnings, significant dots and some impactful people

1) Freelancing isn't entrepreneurship

This may seem obvious, but it wasn't to me.

For some time I looked at the digital nomad, Bali backpacker life-style and assumed once I manage to find some freelance work I am basically there - the entrepreneur I've been chasing...wrong

@Rich20Something writes well on this reflecting after reading @ThisIsSethsBlog talk about freelance vs entrepreneurship

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! I am TOO an entrepreneur!” https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/285804#:~:text=He%20was%20explaining%20the%20core%20differences%20between%20entrepreneurship%20and%20freelancing.&text=Freelancers%20get%20paid%20for%20their,get%20paid%20when%20they%20sleep

"I thought of an entrep as a freethinker. Someone who created their own destiny & didn’t just take what the world handed them.

To think of myself as anything but an entrep, while I was working so freakin’ hard to make money on my own, totally messed with my self-identity"

That said, freelancing IS an essential step in the entrepreneur's journey, AND will likely return in waves as an idea requires capital, time to research, time test, iterate, learn.

For anyone planning a move it is a great first step, but it is only a step

2) Entrepreneurship is management

Entrepreneurship is a glamorised word, particular I think for those looking out from employment at it.

'I have an entrepreneurial mindset', 'im naturally entrepreneurial', 'i've always seen myself as an entrepreneur'

These statements are kind of meaningless (I'm not being a dick to here, I'm the one that's said them!)

Entrepreneurs are everywhere - most people have the 'mindset' in some way and have an idea - its execution that matters

As @ericries says - entrepreneurship is management'

3) Empathy Driven Design is still not fully understood

Entrepreneurship is problem-solving for your customer, and problem-solving for your customers starts with THEIR PROBLEMS

You can build a business you think is great but unless your customers love it'll go nowhere

There's plenty of folk within and outside companies large and small who still don't get design thinking and user experience - thinking the tech and processes will be good enough (and that their own ideas and understanding of the problem will suffice...it wont)

The 'fuffy' marketing/UX people are actually the ones that know what is best and are probably the greatest strategic thinkers and powerful tools a company has. Combine UX with user feedback / open data and the problems will seem all too obvious

4) Beware of the recency effect

Obvious but its hard to realise that the last thing you did, read, learnt is likely having the greatest impact on your current mindset and understanding - the last job you did doesn't have to be your job/role forever

5) Freedom is found in knowing what you want

A lot of people have said to me "I bet you're loving this freedom / this sense of independence"- which, I am of course, but at times I've questioned if I have created any more freedom or feel a real sense of independence.

Freedom is not so simple as being in a company or outside. Its a mindset and an act of disciplined execution of what you want.

You can lose your freedom and independence if you create new walls for yourself and too many 'shoulds'

There are a few people that have helped a lot, so thanks

@p_millerd insightful newsletters and further down the line of a similarish journey "Just remember to leave space for nonwork! That’s the best part of the journey"

@maxrostron having a friend on a similar journey is key!

@HainingMax inspiring masses to get involved in no-code AND love watching this authentic journey to build @100daysnocode

@tefenomics - building what seems useful and fun - not thinking too far ahead - always moving forward

@sweatystartup - we're getting aspects of entrepreneurship wrong - entrepreneurs do common things uncommonly well

@anthilemoon - thinking in maps and drawing it out is incredibly powerful for processing thoughts

@richiebonilla great chats and guidance (and supporting me daily through a game-changing app @clarityright )

@HannahIPower niche, niche and niche again

@tjpower the mind is a continuous commitment - its about small regular steps

@RyanHoliday - ego is getting you down - "We want so desperately to believe that those who have built great empires set out to build one. Why? So we can indulge in the pleasure of planning ours".

Stop imagining what could be and start doing

@BruceFeiler life in non-linear and no life is the same - life is in the transitions

There are 52 types of life disruptors and we have 3-5 'life-quakes' (metanoia, inflection points, turning points, pivots, U-turns) throughout our lives - both voluntary and involuntary

@richkarlgaard Our creative and innovative capacities remain strong in different ways as we age. Everything we know about the human brain and ageing tells us that we have a remarkable capacity to stay creative and innovative deep into our lives.

@thomaspower - stay open, random, support - ORS - "we become what we think about"

@pennypower - people need to know who you are before what you do - BusinessIsPersonal

And finally, one from a book a while ago - @rcbregman - many of the medieval utopia visions have arrived. We need to create a new collective vision for a utopia and work towards it

No major answers but plenty of learning - off to do my own customer research / journalistic phase exploring Empathy Driven Design in:

1) education
2) renewables
3) sustainability
4) international development
5) workplace

Would love to hear from you if you have any thoughts

Life is in the dots collected as much as it is in the dots connected - keep collecting dots

#thinkinginpublic #reflectinginpublic