Learn to love the gray

I guess this is one of those things that fit into 'life lessons' not just startup ones. But there is a tendency for an entrepreneur to think that things would be different in his/her startup as she/he is in control and will know exactly what should be done. After all, the books have been read, workshops attended, mentors questioned, so everything should be crystal clear, right?

First, being in control is all relative. There's plenty that's outside of your control. Getting the flu. Your prospective angel investor doing a 6 week trek in Burma. Your part-time sys admin taking a full-time job elsewhere. The economy tanking. Oh yes, the economy.

Then there's the other life lesson of focusing on the big stuff. Know what the big stuff is? Check. Customers, profitability, team. Or customers, product, funding, team. And of course stuff like integrity and excellence, if you actually think about it. But what if these are in conflict? You'd like to think that is not possible, but it could and does happen. Giving the users what they want may take more time which may impact your profitability or your team may crack under the pressure and escape to calmer shores. So which one wins?

There is no one solution when this happens, and it will happen frequently. It seems to be more traumatic when you're in the early stages and you and your team are still feeling your way. The longer you are in business, the better you get at coping with this - as a team, not just as an individual. In any case, the solution is going to require compromises. It is going to be 'give a little here, get a little there', and you have to not only accept, but, as the guardian of the team spirit, you have to enthusiastically champion something that is less than what you originally hoped for. You have to love the gray, and remember a little glitter could turn it to silver.