Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds

[ron komorowski]

Albert Einstein said that. He was thought to be a complete waist of the college's time by his professors. Thomas Edison was home schooled because he just didn't fit in grade school structure, he was "a problem in school" and was also thought of a complete kook with kooky ideas by the general public around him later on in his life.

Bill Gates was thought to be out of his mind dropping out of college to go into his garage with some "crazy idea"

Another term is "firehosing"; where the "fire in the belly of an entrepreneur is doused.

Has anyone felt exactly this with the speaking of their goals to other's? I have and it took strength to overcome. This phrase by Einstein may have gave me the most strength. I have this poster over my desk with his face and the saying.

Any other stories of opposition and how did you overcome these firehosers?

Ron
Inventor of Handi-Straps
Handi Straps Lifting System Home

[Tom Milan]

haha,
I get it from everyone these days. Every time i come up with a whack idea, my family, friends and girlfriend all put a smile on their faces, and pretend as if they are supporting me.
I can understand them in a sence considering some of my ideas :P , but in anycase, as you've mentioned before any true entrepreneur will easily overcome any non-believers.

If there weren't any barriers like this, everyone would be a millionaire.

[Aletheides]

Yes all the time.

Even after you've displayed some success, oddly enough, it doesn't stop.

It's just human nature. People are envious or something, I dunno (and who cares, really?). Be self motivated and it won't matter anymore.

[phppoddotcom]

I hear it all the time but I don't bother to worry about it.

[freedom.project]

I also get it all the time when I analyze a real estate deal. People tell me I can't and its not that I can't, its that they can't do it. And I know that so I just keep pushing forward.

[Monte Cristo]

I don't share my ideas anymore for that reason. I just write them down. Someday I'll have a good laugh

[ron komorowski]

I thought this point was VERY important to bring up here especially with so many just starting out. It almost gets vicious out there when people tell you your idea is wrong or your going the wrong way.

Good to see some responses that this "firehosing" activity is recognized. I had a couple of CEO's out of NYC, my advisors tell me I couldn't bring a product to market without capital to pay manufacturers to get it started. I did exactly what they thought there was no way.

It is also quite amusing how you could be working so hard for years even on your venture and someone will re-evaluate your whole business plan and give you the "magic advice" in 60 seconds flat of evaluation. They will tell you how you do all wrong. This does not stop as you move into the higher levels either.

So funny how my inventors group has all this advice for me from people who never even brought a product to market!!!

There are millionairs and billionairs out there. There is NO REASON why anyone here can't acheive what the great successful people do. We just have to keep out hearts and heads strong and keep trudging forward.

Take the good advice but realize the naysayers, firehosers and just plain jealous...they are all over trying to drag you back down to their level so they don't look bad or lazy to themselves!!!!

Ron
Inventor of Handi-Straps
Handi Straps Lifting System Home

[Aletheides]

It is also quite amusing how you could be working so hard for years even on your venture and someone will re-evaluate your whole business plan and give you the "magic advice" in 60 seconds flat of evaluation. They will tell you how you do all wrong. This does not stop as you move into the higher levels either.

While constructive second perspectives are very valuable, naysaying is what is by far the most common...Probably 9/10.

There are millionairs and billionairs out there. There is NO REASON why anyone here can't acheive what the great successful people do. We just have to keep out hearts and heads strong and keep trudging forward.

True, yet some people are comfortable just being a cog within the wheels of society and will try to make you see things their way.

[ron komorowski]

[QUOTE=Aletheides;179188]While constructive second perspectives are very valuable, naysaying is what is by far the most common...Probably 9/10.



I think the trick is this. You want to talk to the general public because they are the masses in the consumer base but those are generally the one to "take a swipe" at what you are doing. I constantly have to use this group as a focus group of sort.

The professional group; the knowledgable ones on the subject,yes, they can be detrimental. It is up to the entrepreneur at an early stage to be able to distinguish the difference. I think entrepreneur spirit is very delicate in some ways because of the amount of extremes that need to be applied.

So many out there had ideas but say "I never did anything with it though" (and they want you to do nothing with your idea so they don't feel bad). This makes up the difference between the entrepreneurs and the dreamers. I don't think anyone is happy out there just getting by, they say they are but they just don't know how to take that big shot or maybe they are not capable. Me, I look at some having the best life has to offer and I say....hey...why not me too? I wanna travel the world and not have to worry how much the food on the menu is.

I had this fantasy theory. There are 5 billion people in the world....well now more, I just want a quarter from each one, $.25 How hard can that be? Even with a few simple products. It can be done and quite simply.

It's good that some people here realize that some of the biggest most successful ideas were thought by others in the beginning to be thought up by someone that fell off the turnip wagon.

Thomas Edison had to give away his light bulbs as everyone was afraid at first. Nathans in Coney Island couldn't sell many hot dogs at first so they offered free hot dogs to doctors that would come wearing their white coats. The theory was if people saw a doctor eating then they must be safe.

Imagine all the naysayers for those two in the beginning!

Ron
Inventor of Handi-Straps
Handi Straps Lifting System Home

[Aletheides]

I didn't know Edison had to give lightbulbs away at first, that's interesting.



Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.
- James R. Cook

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.
- Winston Churchill

[ron komorowski]

[QUOTE=Aletheides;179238]I didn't know Edison had to give lightbulbs away at first, that's interesting.


Yes, everyone was afraid of burning their house down. Many people thought Edison was a wacko lunatic with crazy ideas.This story can be mentioned a thousand times. Everyone's product or service will be doubted in the beginning in some way. Human nature I guess. The guy that invented anethstesia was thrown in jail for a year because they thought he was trying to kill people or will kill people.

Oh! Here's one for ya! A President of the U.S. said (forgot who) "It is ridiculous to think the motor car will someday replace the horse and buggy.

For 10 years the guy that invented Velcro could go nowhere with it. Nobody knew what to use it for! IBM originally made meat grinders and time clocks. The boss came down one day and said we are going to call ourselves International Business Machines. Everyone around him thought he was off his rocker!!!!

I read massive amounts of business books for 20 years on all this stuff and it is necvessary to build an entrepreneur's confidence from all the general public that are generally skeptics.

Ron
Inventor of Handi-Straps
Handi Straps Lifting System Home