The Sacrifice Fallacy

You don’t need to suffer to build a successful business.

Photo by Anthony Young on Unsplash

Many people start a business because they want a better life for themselves or believe they can regain their freedom from their corporate job. Occasionally they’ll also try to make the world a better place. Building a business is not an easy task. Anyone who says it is must be lying or has never tried to build a business. A lot of effort, angst, frustration, and grind goes into creating something where there was once nothing.

Unfortunately, a scary trend in entrepreneurial spheres exists that I call the Sacrifice Fallacy and it has to stop.

Entrepreneurs believe that the only way to build a successful business is to sacrifice everything for it. This is simply not true. I know entrepreneurs who are unhealthy, never sleep, don’t have any relationships outside of their company, haven’t taken leave in years and haven’t exercised since they started their company. I know entrepreneurs who have been divorced, neglected their kids, pets, families and everything else in an attempt to build a successful startup and gain freedom from the slavery that is corporate life and a paycheck. The irony of building a business at the cost of everything you love to gain back everything you ever wanted is glaringly obvious from outside.