I've been really quiet on Steemit lately because in late January I started a workshop that was to accelerate the transformation of my immature business idea into a viable business opportunity.

Getting in

Getting into the workshop was competitive. I had to submit a video pitch in round 1 and then attend a selection day for round 2, at the end of which I had to pitch live in front of a panel. That was all pretty exciting. I was over the moon when I got the acceptance email.
Apart from attending free workshops from Business Gateway and Elevator, I have no business education. So, getting into an intense 12-week programme was a massive boost.

Feeding the unicorn

My team?

I had a friend and potential business partner with me for the pitches and another one on paper. These incubators/accelerators generally prefer teams over solopreneurs. A lesson I had learnt in a previous application. In addition, it was actually my friend's original idea that I had started building on over a short period of time.
I wanted both friends to be co-founders if it ever came to anything. I called them my team, even though we hadn't spent much time together plotting this venture. Both were a bit worried about the time commitment.

Dropping out

When we knew that we were accepted to join the programme, the cracks became obvious. Friend #1 decided not to make time for the workshop. It was a tough decision for her because she loved our idea and was keen to be involved in a start-up. However, she had too much on in her life already. Shifting priorities was not an option for her. All along, I was hoping she would do exactly that, but I got a reality check.
Friend #2 offered help with the workshop 'homework' but ended up not being able to complete anything much. She also had too much on in her life. It didn't help that she lives in a different city.
I came to the realisation that there was no point in maintaining the illusion of a team and told both that I'll soldier on by myself. Both agreed that this was the best solution. I sensed some relief from everybody.

Hindsight

Looking back, I was a naive little kid who wanted to wish something into existence that wasn't there. I ignored the signals (my friends worrying about time) because I didn't want to do this by myself. Not only that, it was exactly these two ladies whom I wanted to be with me in this venture. They are amazing individuals. I would work with them anytime ... they are available.
So, right at the start of the programme I learnt a valuable life lesson. Just because I am enthusiastic about something, doesn't mean I can make others equally enthusiastic about it if they are not 'in the right space' at that time. They say this is a common mistake entrepreneurs make - mostly with regrads to their products. Ah well, I didn't even need a product to make that mistake... ahead of class... 😕

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