International Youth Day 2024: 5 Startup Truths Every Aspiring Young Entrepreneur Must Embrace

One day, after months of grinding, she landed her first big client—a deal that turned everything around. Looking back, she realized that the nights of doubt and the sacrifices she made were what truly shaped her success. The takeaway?

Image credit: Freepik

Let’s skip the sugar-coating and dive straight into the reality check. Starting a business isn’t all about glamorous pitches, high valuations, or being the next big thing on social media. 

If you're thinking about jumping into the entrepreneurial world, here are a few unvarnished truths shared by Rohit Sakunia, Founder of Art E Mediatech you should know:

Your First Venture Might Fail—And That’s Okay
You’ll be incredibly fortunate if your first product, service, or company is a runaway success. Most entrepreneurs stumble the first time around. But don’t let that deter you—failure is part of the journey. My personal story is a mixed one. The product failed but I was able to convince someone to buy it. So some saving grace. But it’s where I learnt what works and what doesn’t, even if it feels like a punch to the gut at first. Just know that the chances of success right out of the gate are slim, so brace yourself.

You’ll Need to Wear Every Hat in the Business
You might excel at one aspect—be it marketing, product development, or something else entirely—but entrepreneurship demands a whole different level of multitasking. From cost accounting to HR, sales, funding, and app building, you'll need to juggle all these responsibilities. It’s a steep learning curve, and it can be overwhelming, but it’s necessary to keep the business afloat. I remember serving tea to our first client partners because Varun, the office boy, was down with Viral that day :). 

Profit Isn’t Instant—Patience Is Key
Breaking even, let alone making a profit, can take months, sometimes a few years. Entrepreneurship often means long stretches without a steady income (mine was more than 12 months with a 1-year-old at home), and no one promises that comforting paycheck every month. You need to be prepared for the possibility of not taking home any money for a while, and that’s a tough reality to accept.

There’s No Such Thing as Work-Life Balance—At Least Not Yet
Forget about balance in life. Until your business reaches a point where much of it can run on autopilot—a process that can take years—don’t expect to have much of a work-life balance. Sleep will suffer, stress will mount, and you'll need to find coping mechanisms to stay sane. This isn’t something that’s talked about enough, but it’s a reality many entrepreneurs face. I have a policy here that on any given day, I choose one of them. Its about work or life. No prizes for guessing what takes the maximum share. 

It’s All On You—The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
It’s your company, which means every success and every failure is on your shoulders. You’ll have days when you feel like quitting, and some days, you’ll be in a terrible mood but still have to show up. The stakes are high, and the responsibility is immense. Expect to lose some relationships along the way, but also know that you’ll forge new ones that can be just as meaningful.

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint-hearted. It takes it all. It’s filled with challenges that test your resolve, your patience, and your grit. But if you’re prepared to embrace these truths and keep pushing forward, the rewards are equally immense. For all the aspiring youth in our country, let me share one anecdote. A young entrepreneur once shared how, in the early days of her startup, she barely had enough money to keep the lights on. She was sleeping in her office, eating instant noodles, and wondering if she had made a huge mistake. But she kept going. 

It’s in those tough moments, when everything feels like it's falling apart, that you build the resilience to succeed. So, if you’re ready to take the plunge, know that your journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Keep pushing, keep believing, and don’t let the unglamorous truths deter you from chasing your dreams.