Entitlement

Some startups I’ve came across recently have an appalling sense of entitlement. From founders I’ve heard cries of “but I’m building something new and exciting”, “we’re creating jobs” or “we are disrupting a £## million market”… so what?

It’s perhaps an unpopular view but I feel it’s simply wrong for startups, particularly in Scotland, to expect any kind of support as a given.

In Scotland the likes of Scottish Enterprise get a bad rap (and in many respects rightly so) but I think the sense of entitlement from startups is shocking. You might well be building the next big thing but I think it’s a terrible attitude to found a business and for your first thought to be to chase grants and funds instead of trying to make the business work.

To me this shows little faith in your business or little passion for what you’re trying to achieve. If you truly feel your business is going to be successful then why enter into a world of box ticking and a circus of pitching instead of trying to generate revenues?

In many cases the businesses aren’t getting the support (both public and private) they feel they’re entitled to because they’re simply not good enough. It’s a hard truth but the sooner these companies realise this and strive to improve the better.

In my mind the best way to enter things is to expect nothing will be provided. Wether it’s financial support, promotion or media coverage. Strive to earn every morsel of support you receive. If you aren’t getting the support you need re-double your efforts, hunker down and put the hours in to make your business better and most importantly yourself. It’s probably for a very good reason you’re not getting the support.

There’s no point beating about the bush, in many cases the main type of support these businesses seek is financial. They cry it’s because they’re under resourced but it’s worth remembering money is only one type of resource. There many others which founders can utilise. Be clever, get creative and utilise those.