2022 recap

My name is Chris, and I started Deconstruct.

It is rare for people to share their genuine thoughts about starting, and running a venture from scratch with my own money. So here is some honest thoughts about our 1st year in operation.

1. The hardest part is the mental game
Starting a business inevitably has many challenges. This includes making sure that your solution solves a problem, learning skills beyond what you possess (eg. tech, marketing etc.), setting up your internal and external operations. Everyday, you find yourself handling problem after problem, wondering when you can have a peaceful day.

Among all the challenges, the hardest part, which surprisingly no one talks about, is how mentally strong you have to be.

Almost everyday, you find yourself questioning if you are on the right track, if it is something that is worth pursuing over, especially when things are not going well.

I gave up a good stable career for this, as I’ve always wanted to start my own venture. And this constantly ate at me. Sacrificing that stability for something that is so uncertain, especially at this age, was this a worthwhile gamble? The thought of failure is incomprehensible.

Furthermore, it is a lonely journey.

Most of your friends work an office job, so they won’t understand what you are going through. They think that (i) you gonna be a millionaire in 1 month (ii) or that it isn’t that hard (iii) or hope that you somehow fail (really).

Every meeting, your business will be discussed, and slowly but surely, I find myself switching the conversation away from my business.

Oh, and I have not gotten to the money side of things.

How do I keep myself going? By believing wholeheartedly that there is a problem to be solved.

And when you see happy clients, and results, there will be that sense of satisfaction and assurance.

For anyone thinking of starting a business, know the trade-offs.

And if you have made the decision, make sure you wholeheartedly believe that there is a problem to be solved, and you can hold on to this while continuously grinding towards the solution.

You might not succeed. I might not succeed. But It will definitely help in the journey.

2. Nobody is indispensable
Being a marketplace-ish kind of platform, there are many parties in the equation. Ourselves, the renovation partners, the clients, our staff, other partners.

And everybody looks out for their own self-interest, which is nothing wrong, just that sometimes it becomes a little extreme.

Clients are upset that the IDs/contractors take too long to pass them the quotation.

Renovation partners are annoyed clients keep single-ticking them, and wasting their time.

Staff don’t do the work that they are hired for, and keep asking for higher pay.

Other partners only entertain you if it 100% benefits them and you take all the downside risks.

What I’ve learnt is to define your non-negotiable, and move on if it is crossed.

If one party does not respect you, it can be your time, your effort, or anything else, move on.

If you have done your part, and your conscience is clear, move on.

If someone is clearly taking advantage of you, move on.

Nobody is indispensable, and you need to hold your ground.

Know your value, and the value you are bringing.

Else, it ends up like a slippery slope, where you constantly give in over and over again, and ultimately it will take a toll on your mental health and physical business.

3. Work has a real sense of purpose
Going back to my previous office job, while it was stable, it always felt like anyone could do the same job, and earn that income, while delivering negligible value.

Contrasting it with this is the dignity of knowing that I earn every single cent that I made.

Every action is made in order to further the business.

While there is certainly instability & volatility, this purpose & dignity was something that I could never feel if I continued in my desk job.

For everyone that is thinking of doing their own venture, I strongly encourage it.

It does not have to mean you sacrificing your office job, after all different people have different risk appetite. It can be something small.

But the learnings you get, and the sense of satisfaction in seeing it work, are things that you will not get in your day job.

That’s all for now, 2023 here we come!

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