“Just because Zuckerberg put on a hoodie and became a billionaire doesn’t mean everyone else can.” Being an entrepreneur is one of the most difficult jobs. However, if someone possess the relevant skills and expertise, there’s no question that this day and age has provided us the tools to build something both quickly and cost-effectively. But, that doesn’t mean everybody should do it. It’s hilarious to see people realizing that they’re not Sachin Tendulkar or Lata Mangeshkar, but for some reason, they’re able to convince themselves they’re an entrepreneur and can build a milliondollar business.

For over the last half-decade, we’ve been living through a narrative that has glorified entrepreneurship. The story that’s been depicted in movies like The Social Network has convinced people that they could (and should) go and start a business. However, the real story is far behind that depicted in the movie. And so, for those people who are looking to start their own venture, need to start by asking themselves, “Why am I even going down this route in the first place?”

The answer is happiness, because that’s the truth. Are they willing to make just Rs. 20000 running their own business, dictating their own income, happy as hell, or make Rs. 100000 at a job they hate. The choice lies there.

In entrepreneurship, there’s no magic formula to succeed. No strategic process can make anyone a millionaire. No secret book that teaches someone how to build a business. It takes work. Hard work. And those “millions” we see in the headlines? They’re not realistic either. They’re just not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy while doing it. We just need to understand why we’re doing the things we’re doing.

We live in a day and time where anyone with passion and love for something can build a business around it. And, although that might sound cliché, but it’s just true. The internet has opened us all to a world of opportunity but we need to be honest with ourselves in understanding what we’re seeking. We need to be practical and self-aware. Because 30, 40, 60 years from now, we are not going to regret the few extra bucks we could have made. We are going to regret not focusing our time and energy around the things that could have made us happy.