Lose yourself – Abhi Vyas

“Look
If you had
One shot
Or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?”
— Lose Yourself, Eminem

Had it not been for Dr. Dre’s belief in Eminem, we may never have heard this song.

Don’t know the story? Watch this…

Dr. Dre discovers Eminem

For those who know me, I don’t listen to much music. Though recently, I’ve started listening to a lot of rap. I enjoy listening to the stories of an artist’s “come up” and the truth of their pain in the music. It’s a good reminder as I go through my own hardships.

As I mentioned last, I’m going all in.

I’m starting ZenAdvisor to make personalized financial advice accessible to the 93% of the US market that’s currently in the dark.

Though ZenAdvisor is still in it’s infancy, I know I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people who’ve taken a chance on me and continue to believe in me.

The two common views of an entrepreneur from afar are: founders are either Gods or founders are villains. Often, the same founders are seen as one or the other at different parts of their lives. Almost all “successful” founders have went through this phase: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Travis Kalanick, Adam Neumann.

Perception aside, what’s undeniable about all of the above is the amount of work they put in to bring their visions to life. Whether it’s a starving artist or a visionary entrepreneur they both go through the struggle of making something new.

Startups mostly don't compete against each other, they compete against no one giving a shit
— Justin Kan (@justinkan) June 27, 2015

Justin’s tweet doesn’t just apply to startups, it applies to all creators.

If believing in yourself is hard, imagine how hard it must be to get others to believe in you. I think the catch-22 here is, it’s often hard to know why someone believes in you. You can almost hear the disbelief Eminem felt when he first met Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine in his voice.

Despite “no one giving a shit” entrepreneurs, artists, and researchers willingly choose to experiment every day in an attempt to make something new.

This past week, I wrote up a memo describing ZenAdvisor for potential team members and investors. As I shared it with my network for feedback I asked myself, what incentive does someone have to actually read this and care?

After asking this question I appreciated those who did infinitely more. The people who read it, did so, because they believe in me.

Thank you.

For the rest who’re reading this, I implore you to believe in your friends who’re making things. Read what they write. Listen to their music. Support their start-ups. Watch their videos. Tell them you appreciate them. Amplify the positivity.

They may not show it but they need it the most.

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