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Ryan Healy is a recent college graduate. He is a founder of 
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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.
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Ryan - Thanks for the insights. This could not have come at a more appropriate time. I think I’ve got a great idea for a website/business and have had a slow start committing to it; mostly out of fear of taking a risk. Glad to see I’m (somewhat) not alone.
Hi Ryan,
I too would like to thank you for this post. I’m in the full time job/part time business starting phase now. One of the things that I worry about most is all the paper work to become a legal business. Have you guys done that and if so, can you share some of the grueling details?
I know this stuff is on the web, but you know us future entrepreneurs: BUSY BUSY BUSY!
Dear Ryan - I have been reading your blog for some time now and this post really spoke to me. As a 25 year old in the midst of a quarter life crisis I feel I have more to offer this world than sitting at a cubicle all day. I have great ideas, but part fear and part uncertainty has held me back from pursuing those ideas. I was refreshed to hear that others are feeling the same way, and are doing something about it by starting a business and/or changing their current situation. This inspiration gives me motivation to continue with some of my great ideas and make it a reality. Time and luck! Thanks again.
This is a good start. As someone who’s walked this road, I’d add a few things:
1. Focus on failing quickly: for every great idea that fails because it was launched a little too soon, there are a hundred bad/mediocre ones that people wasted years of their lives and savings on. The acid test of any plan is not whether you can build it, but whether you can sell it.
2. Don’t start a business because you hate your day job; either find a better day job or make your peace with it. Quitting your day job too soon is the first easy way to kill a good idea.
3. Don’t do it by yourself. Partnerships are not without their challenges but if you can’t get one person to join you and make that relationship work, then you’ll probably fail to motivate customers or manage employees.
4. If you’re not getting physically ill, then you’re not working too hard. Ask your friends in med school or working on their Ph.D.s what their work-life balance looks like. Ask your grandparents how it was when they were your age. The smarter you think you are, the more likely you are to underestimate how many other smart people there are out there. The only way you win is to work harder than them.
5. Most of what you read in the press/online about entrepreneurs your age is business porn. Mark Zuckerburg is an interesting story for the same reason that people who survive head-on collisions without seatbelts are. These sorts of ideas are lottery tickets, and I won’t tell you to not buy a lottery ticket if you enjoy it, but be realistic about what it will probably get you.
6. Be realistic about what is an accessible idea. Your goal is to get as far down the road towards profitability as possible without *requiring* more money than you can access within one degree of separation. If you have an idea for a billion-dollar company, chances are that you’re deluding yourself. One half of one percent of new companies eventually make it to $2m in annual revenue. In many ways, the duller your idea sounds to your friends who do not find business inherently interesting, the better it probably is.
Ryan, thank you so much for providing this type of sensible advice to would-be twenty-something entrepreneurs. So many people think it’s a good idea to just drop everything and start a business one day, but this is not the way the world works and is a sure prescription for disaster.
I also love your point about being a B player. The truth is that no one can do it all, so you should focus your energies on advancing the projects and causes you find to be personally meaningful.
How far you’ve come since just a year ago, when we first chatted on the phone.
Best,
Alexandra Levit
Author, They Don’t Teach Corporate in College
Blogger, Water Cooler Wisdom
alexandralevit.typepad.com
I love this article. I think it’s one of your best. Great advice and inspiration.
Meka - I wouldn’t worry about the paper work. Sure, its a real pain, but the actual design or development of your business is much harder! If you want me to point you in the right direction feel free to shoot me an email!
Colin - Good points, I agree with your point about working harder than everyone, but be careful not to work for the sake of working. It’s really easy to do “stuff” the trick is to figure out what stuff is actually going to get your business on the ground. It’s not about the hours, it’s about the results.
Alexandra - I figured to get some push back about the B player advice, but none so far! Glad you agree.
Thanks to all.
-Ryan
Ryan,
I recently founded a startup while while working at a major corporation. Your article is very timely for myself and many other Gen Y entrepreneurs. I agree with you fully about becoming a “B player”. Over-committing yourself will quickly lead to burnout in both you cubical and startup work.
I do not fully agree with you about using “downtime at work to get your business off the ground”. One should be cautious with cubical time and resources. Read your employment contracts very carefully! Starting a business is a large enough risk–minimize pitfalls to avoid potential conflicts with your current employer.
My advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
1) Ideas are everywhere, execution is king
Many successful entrepreneurs go through multiple ideas before getting it right. Forming the right team, developing a useful product and understanding the demands of your market are far more important.
2) Network, network, network
Lay the groundwork early. You never know who will be inspired by your idea and help you take it to the next level.
3) Gain knowledge from experts
Paul Graham’s essay “How to Start a Startup” is a great place to start for any type of business: www.paulgraham.com/start.html
4) Have fun and be passionate
Building a startup take time, money and mental toughness. Make sure you’re passionate about your idea and enjoy the work. Nothing is more difficult than coming home after 10 hours in the cubical and putting more hours into your startup if you don’t like the work.
So get started with your ventures and enjoy the ride!
Sam
www.razume.com
Ryan, your post shows your lack of integrity.Working on your blog or business from work is stealing your salary from your employer. Do it at home. You are hired to work while you are at work so, take on extra work from your boss to fill the voids, or quit.
Thanks Ryan. I think this is good practical advice for entrepreneurs, and anyone changing their career. If you know what you’re doing now is not in line with your aspirations, then it would help you to focus less on your current job and more on your business/skills/etc for your desired career. In a way this is a sort of exit strategy.
I guess my main problem with this is:
1) You’re essentially funding your startup with a company that has not consented to fund, and will not receive any of the profits. From a pragmatic point of view, the down time might be justified, but it really doesn’t earn you any character points.
2) You’re basing a lot of this on the premise that an “A-player” necessarily has to put in the extra time. You can do A-level work for your 40 a week. I guess this just strikes me as questionable as the above, implying that you’re not going to do your best work because as stated, this is essentially an exit strategy.
When is your business with Penelope going to launch? I’ve been reading your column and I can’t wait to see what you guys have put together? Has it already happened and I missed it? When/where can we find it?
You could do A level work for 40 hours, but you would still be a B player. In today’s work force, 40 hours is not even full time. And if you’re not working full time you cannot be an A player.
Also, how you define character is certainly up to you, but I would bet that nearly every person in an office spends a minimum of 1 hour surfing the internet. In fact, it’s probably closer to 2 hours a day. Why not make use of that time to build a business or pursue a hobby instead of surfing the internet?
Taylor - Don’t worry you haven’t missed the launch yet. We don’t have an exact date yet, but I’ll be sure to make an announcement. It will be located at www.brazencareerist.com.
-Ryan
“I would bet that nearly every person in an office spends a minimum of 1 hour surfing the internet. In fact, it’s probably closer to 2 hours a day. Why not make use of that time to build a business or pursue a hobby instead of surfing the internet?” Ryan, it reminds me of what my mom used to say, “if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?” Wow! This web site is about the wonders of being young, excited, making the world a better place, having high ideas. The world is not a better place if you advocate stealing! A level or B level aside, do this work on your own time.
Based on your premise that you feel ok with wasting 2 hours per day on personal business while paid by your employer, you are pocketing $13,000 annually in unearned income if paid at $25 an hour. What would you call the act of intentionally taking $13,000 in cash or product from your employer without their knowledge? Of course, the costs go far beyond this when accounting for lost productivity, loss of faith, wage taxes paid by the employer. It seems as if employees scream “Big Brother” when their internet and phone use is monitored yet feel it is absolutely ok to waste company resources while launching their own business. Thanks for the enlightenment and such a brazen demonstration of lack of any moral foundation.
While I appreciate the attacks on my character, I think you are missing the point.
I’m not advocating 2 hours a day on personal business while paid. I am advocating spending as many hours a day on personal business as possible, after you have completed your work.
Everyone is trained to equate hours with work rather than results. The fact is, salaried employees are not paid $25 an hour they are paid $50,000 per year. If you get your job done in 30 hours one week, you still receive 50K for the year. Results matter, hours don’t.
-Ryan
You hit the nail on the head with the salary explanation. It amazes me that no one understands that. All of these people decrying the lost productivity and abuse of your company’s time fail to acknowledge that your company will not pay you a cent for an extra overtime you have to work.
Ryan, Andy – It is agreed that most companies will not pay salaried employees overtime. However, I don’t think the cry of lost productivity is an invalid statement. I know that when I was hired, I agreed to 40-45 hours a week. While they won’t pay me overtime, they certainly did not mention that I could go home each day at 3 if everything I had was complete. Is your experience different? It might not be fair, but it’s the agreement I, and most others make. I agreed to not be paid overtime. They never agreed to let me off early.
So really the overtime matter is irrelevant. Unless your company will let you leave when you’ve finished work for the day, be it 4 hours or 6, working on your own website while at work is taking from their time, and therefore taking their money. While you are correct with the $50,000 a year, a caveat, at least to the position I agreed to, is really up to $25 / hour if I stick to 40 hours, obviously less if it takes me longer.
Nathan - So by that logic, you’re punished for being more efficient. This is why flex time works…undoubtably you’re going to have to stay late one day, so you can easily make it up and leave slightly earlier another day.
Andy - Not sure if I agree on that one. What is the punishment? That you have to sit there idle? If that’s the case you should be given something else to do, while being recognized for your efficiency.
I don’t disagree that flex time works great. I would love it. But how many of us actually have a committed contact that says that? I don’t, I specifically am paid an agreed upon amount for a typical 40-45 hour week without any pay for necessary overtime. That is the agreement I made, and 90% of other people make that as well.
If you’re on flex time and you’re just staying at work to work on your extra curriculars, fine. I’d say that same about anyone who agrees to 8-5 and works on their business from 5-6. More power to you. But it is not upon the individual worker to decide they are on flex time, and that the hours lost are of no consequence to the company.
I’m pretty sure that IBM or any other Fortune 500 company has a “code of professional conduct” that would give great guidance on how to approach this topic. I think that in most companies, if you were using company time and equipment to start your own business, you would probably get a warning, and then be fired if you did not stop. On the flip side, most companies afford their employees, non-profit-making personal time, as long as they do not abuse it. Yes, someone surfing the web for several hours a day is also abusing the system, but it does not make what Ryan is suggesting OK.
I plan to start my own business, but I’m approaching things a little different than Ryan:
- First, I found a job that is challenging, rewarding, dynamic, and definately keeps me busy enough to not have time to start a second business at work.
- I strive to be an “A” employee, not cutting corners. This allows me a gread deal of freedom. I have progressed rather quickly compared to my peers and it has allowed me to network, increase my pay/responsibility, and get out of the trenches so I can see how the business actually runs. This experience will be invaluable when I go out on my own. I also get the opportunity to present to clients and learn valuable management skills.
- Ryan was right, BE PATIENT. Those of you struggling through your first, second year working for the man, hang in there! You are a dime a dozen when you start a job, but you WILL become more valuable to a company in a relatively short time if you are an “A” employee.
- Don’t play games. I would not suggest trying to navigate the workplace the way Ryan has described. Sure, go to all the social events, etc., but don’t do it with the goal of trying to make up for sub-par work. People aren’t stupid and you will be exposed sooner or later. Nobody likes a politition at work, especially when he is not pulling his weight.
- Plan for your exit. Carefully decide on the track you want to go down and then begin planning for your exit, ON YOUR OWN TIME. NEVER, start you business while at work. It’s the phrase my dad used to say, “where ever you are, be there.”
- Remember, you corporate career is your insurance. If anything goes wrong when you are on your own, a good 3-5 year, top performer experience will give you a great fall back. Don’t screw that up by not making the most of your time at you job.
Don’t fall into the trap of cheating your employer. Give them your best. That is why they hired you and that is why they pay you. If you are so tired of it that you need to go for the gusto, then quit your job. If you truely have a great business idea, make business plan, get some venture capital, and get going!
I have a brother-in-law that worked for the man a couple of years, did B-work while trying to start a business. He has been dabbling around a few start-ups the last 5 years and none of them worked out. Well, long story short, he now has 3 kids, working an entry level analyst job (that is all he qualifies for), while his peers stuck it out working for the man and are now making 6 figure salaries as controllers, managers, senior sales associates, etc.
Be wise, strategic, and honest in how you transition from your cube.