Startup life vs. consulting

I want to live in a world where freedom of choice is uninhibited and people have equal opportunities to realize their dreams.

How do I make sure that I advance towards my promise and the above-mentioned vision? I believe there are three options: Consulting, a startup or joining a startup. There are benefits and drawbacks to all options. First, I thought a lot about consulting. In this field, I will be able to work on different projects and for different companies. There are clear work procedures and structured, and I will be among talented colleagues. When I look into the startup world, I know I will have more responsibility, and I will be able to have an octopus role (widespread area of different tasks).

Several of my friends who were consultants left their job to build their own businesses. I guess it is not a surprising move, as consultants, as well as entrepreneurs, share same similar traits:

  • Leadership: Consultants manage different teams to achieve a common goal. Entrepreneurs must lead and motivate others in order to deliver a certain vision.
  • Interpersonal and communication: All my friends who are consultants are excellent communicators. If one wants to be a successful entrepreneur, it is vital to be competent in all types of communication in order to sell one’s vision to others.
  • Negotiation: People with consulting experience generally have strong negotiation skills as they deal with different clients with different goals, requirements, and personalities. An entrepreneur must be good at negotiating with all types of people and stakeholders in order to run the business.
  • Optimism and persistence: Consultants are generally known to be go-getters and high-achievers, and they are very persistent in their behavior. I see the same trait in my entrepreneurial friends. The eternal persistence and optimism, both during good and bad times.

Enough Sunday reflections for now… Happy Easter everyone!

Double up on bootcamps

This week I received an email from Danske Idéer that I got selected to participate in their innovation camp. I readily accepted the spot as I see this as a fantastic opportunity to learn more about entrepreneurship, pressure test one of my startup ideas, and meet brilliant people within entrepreneurship and academic research.

It is a five-day competition (and education) for young researchers, students, and entrepreneurs within design and technology in Denmark. There is an emphasis on innovative ideas that can positively impact millions of lives within the next 3-5 years. My vision is to have a global impact, and I do believe my startup idea with social inclusion of the elderly would fit the program perfectly.

The workshop takes place mid-March, one week before my departure to the MIT bootcamp. The next couple of weeks I am going all in on entrepreneurship, and I could not wish for a better start than with Singularity University, The Danish Industry Foundation (Dansk Industri Fond), and MIT on board.

MIT bootcamp

Today, I have reached $2,475 USD through my crowdfunding campaign for the upcoming MIT Entrepreneurship bootcamp with help from 28 amazing individuals! I am blown away by all the love and support I have received over the last couple of days. Social media turned out to be an incredible way to share my story. Alone on LinkedIn, the campaign got more than 38,000 visits and 250+ likes. I am literally mind blown! The numbers grow day by day.

I want to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you who hit the like button, shared and donated. You are in my pink book as heroes in my everyday life. I am humbled to receive so much positive feedback and encouraging comments.

The next couple of weeks, I will plan my trip, brainstorm different ideas and develop business concepts. This blog will keep you updated on the process. If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to contribute to the blog in the comments section.

Happy reading!