In these months the start-up incubator that Wish Days launched has received around 100 application by candidates who have “The Idea” but who are still looking for someone to invest on it.

As far as I’m concerned, and I wish to make clear that my opinion is personal and grounded on my experience, I think that the concept of entrepreneur (that is to say “running a business”) has been progressively distinguished from that of “running a start-up”. Why do I say this?

1 – During these years it seems as if the objective of launching a start-up has become that of receiving funding: if you manage either to get financial support or enter a start-up incubator, you made it! It is not common to hear about startuppers whose aim is that of pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, is it?

2 – People now believe you cannot launch a business unless it can be sold within few years. Can I say this is utterly wrong? Can I say that the objective of a business, of a start-up (call it as you like) can only be the one of producing value?

Those who launch a new business with the objective of selling it within 3 years and then get into another one and so forth, have no idea of what doing business means…

…or rather what launching a START-UP means (in capital letters this time).

On top of that, I’ve never got to know personally “serial entrepreneurs”, in other words businessmen who create value in different sectors by selling the companies they launch in order to start up new ones. To tell the truth I also read few (real) stories about that.

I may have had bad luck during the 8 years spent working as a business strategy consultant all over the world for more than 300 companies or rather during the other 7 years as an entrepreneur, but I’ve never met people who were or had been real serial entrepreneurs.

3 –  On the thousands of forums and blogs I bump into every day, I’ve never read about startuppers eager to give up for years to their holidays in order to lead their own business to success. In different occasions while talking to guys who are trying to launch their start-up I usually ask when their last holiday was. If their answer is the previous summer I move on to the next one.

Launching a start-up means first of all business RISK and second, (quality) SACRIFICE. Sacrifice. This involves not only the people getting into business but also those near them: fiancés and fiancées/husbands and wives/children. They will share your sacrifice.

But this is how it is, and it cannot be different. As the time to market is essential to succeed, one cannot but sacrifice everything for a long time.

To those who want to set up their business I always ask: are you ready to give up to your holidays for 3 or 4 years and to work 18 hours a day, seven days a week? Besides, with no certain outcomes?

4 – An idea-in-itself equals zero. Less than zero. The world is full of ideas. The difference lies in how you execute them.

Execution!

I feel sorry for those who try to protect their idea while looking for a help (funding/advisors and so forth) by asking potential investors to sign an NDA: I know they’ll never make it.

I rather repeat it: the difference is done by the quality of the people and the sacrifice they’re ready to make.

5 – I don’t believe in start-ups launched by people with no previous work experience. I’m aware of the objections that could raise… Mark Zuckerberg to mention one. Well, I think this topic has to be analysed in its entirety rather than limiting it to certain unique situations or people (geniuses). Mark before Facebook worked on many projects which created value (for him in the first place but also for his clients), he managed to enter Harvard (not the Utah University, with due respect), he was a genius. I haven’t met many geniuses in my life, have you?

I’m sorry for those having good ideas but no work experience. We’re not the right incubator for you guys. We’re not interested in funding you… not even if you find the Holy Grail.

6 – Setting up a start-up implies running a business which subsequently means creating value. What Porter wrote on the Bible of Marketing cannot be left out of consideration: every new company has to develop a competitive advantage allowing it to outperform competitors in its marketplace. To acquire this advantage there are three possible strategies:

– Differentiation strategy

– Cost leadership strategy

– Segmentation strategy

Also in the internet world.

7 – There are no excuses: all entrepreneurs (then startuppers) in every corner of the world, have been initially subsidized by families and friends. Mark Z. and Steve Jobs included.

And if nobody you know would bet on you, why would a stranger do it? Nowadays you don’t need much money to get started. You will possibly need it once the business grows and just if its business model works.

I’ll end this post by going back to the starting point, this because I’d love to see this concept taught in entrepreneurship schools and explained to people who want to launch a start-up.

One cannot do a business with the only objective of making money.

This motivation isn’t strong enough to help entrepreneurs to overcome the obstacles on their paths.

The real business pull could be both a vision deeply rooted in the entrepreneur and the Love for what one does.

Yes, Love.

Ask to every entrepreneur.

Setting up a company from scratch because of one’s faith in a project, in the future and in the sacrifices and in one’s dedication, is like growing up a child.

Therefore, pulling you apart from your “creature”, even though you want to monetize or make it grow bigger, is always a suffering.

If it’s not like this, you won’t reach success.

Maybe it will be better not even to start.