How to start a company from your cubicle

Published by Ryan Healy on November 30th, 2007 in Blogging, Entrepreneurship | 23 Comments

Since freshman year of college I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I created my own major called entrepreneurship and I swore off working for "the man" forever. Turns out, it's not as easy as it sounds.

After college, I got a job with IBM Consulting. My plan was to get some real world experience for three to five years and then start a business with the connections I made and the knowledge I gained.

Things didn't go as planned. I wasn't learning all that much and I had plenty of extra time in my cube at the Pentagon. So I started a blog…I mean a business…I mean a blog.

Anyway, here are five important tips to consider if you are trying to start a company from your cubicle.

Be patient

Far too often I talk to people who have an awesome idea for a great new website, product or service. They are always excited and sometimes, the idea makes a lot of sense. But for one reason or another, they seem to give up on that awesome idea in a couple of days and tell me about their new awesome idea the next week.

No matter how amazing an idea you have, it takes time to grow a business, or to grow a blog for that matter. The only idea Ryan and I had was to write about entry-level jobs and to occasionally chime in on the "Gen-Y" discussion. It wasn't much of an idea, but we stuck with it. One thing led to another and we started a company based on that stupid little idea.

So be patient, remember it's not the idea that matters, it's the execution.

Be Realistic

Starting a company is not easy, especially when you're in your twenties. Be realistic about how much time and effort you can put into whatever you are trying to start. Working 40 hours a week at a job and 50 hours a week on the side is probably not good for your health and it's certainly not good for your social life.

If you have a decent idea and a good team of people, don't worry about getting everything done in a month or two. And whatever you do, don't quit your day job until you know it's time. I can't tell you exactly when you will know because it depends on your tolerance for risk. But when the time comes, you'll know.

Be a "B-player"

If you want to climb the ladder or even job hop in a particular industry then you need to be an "A-player." But if you know, deep down, that your job is not for you and you WILL start your own company, you have to learn to be a "B-player."

Do the work you are assigned and do it well. If you're trying to start a company there is no need to go above and beyond at work. Asking for more assignments or staying late on the job will only take away from the time you have to get your business off the ground.

But beware, this is a tricky way to play the corporate game. You need to be sure your social skills are sharp. Make sure everyone likes you, especially the boss. Go to all the social events, eat lunch with your team and be yourself. People perceive you as a great worker if they think you are a great person. And perception is often more important then reality.

So sharpen up your social skills and do what you're asked. Remember, a "B-player" is still above average.

Don't be afraid to work on the job

If you're an entry-level worker, and you take my advice about being a "B-player," you will inevitably have down time on the job. I'm sure older workers are shaking their heads at this, but it's true. Nearly everyone I know who's not on Wall Street is bored to death in their cubicle at one point or another.

If possible, make use of that down time and do something to get your business off the ground. When I was negotiating with Penelope about the equity structure of Brazen Careerist, we had some pretty heated discussions. For a couple of weeks you could find me in the courtyard of the Pentagon, in 90 degree heat, in a full suit, pleading my case and discussing the future company.

It's funny to look back on, but I got my job done and I did it well, even if I spent a few minutes on my "other" job.

Get Lucky

You can have the best idea and the best team. You can be patient and you can follow all of this advice. And there is still a damn good chance that you will never start a company while you're working in a cubicle. It's hard and it takes a huge amount of luck.

I totally lucked out by emailing Penelope at the exact time she was looking for someone to write a twentysomething column. We lucked out that a Wall Street Journal reporter wanted to cover our blog after two months. I'm not naïve, we have been really lucky thus far.

But you know what they say, luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. So know what you want to do and prepare for it, because you never know when the right opportunity will arise.