In response to your point: What happens when one starts to take off? You'll either leave opportunity on the table or you'll ditch your other ones (screwing all of your other "partners").
This has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately, and is certainly a potential issue, but also certainly not as dramatic or black and white as you have stated.
Here is some background. Previously, I had two businesses, one with myself and one with a partner. My partner also had another business. When our joint business “took off” (two years in) I had just signed up for a two year graduate school program to take on the side (though for the other students it was their full time gig).
We talked about me not going to the program, but I ultimately did. And when that happened, nothing got dropped and I don’t think any opportunity was left on the table either. In fact, I believe my program helped contribute greatly to our success as I was able to bring in various ideas from the program. Again, I think this is a benefit of spreading risk and having multiple things floating around in your head all the time.
Yes, there were crazy hours for a while, but I was able to meet all my obligations quite well. And nothing really changed fundamentally when we “took off” except we were making a lot more money and having a lot more fun!
This time around, I expect to be in even a better position to manage a “take off,” which I hope happens, but I am not expecting such. After all, like you say, any traction is difficult.
This has been something I have been thinking about a lot lately, and is certainly a potential issue, but also certainly not as dramatic or black and white as you have stated.
Here is some background. Previously, I had two businesses, one with myself and one with a partner. My partner also had another business. When our joint business “took off” (two years in) I had just signed up for a two year graduate school program to take on the side (though for the other students it was their full time gig).
We talked about me not going to the program, but I ultimately did. And when that happened, nothing got dropped and I don’t think any opportunity was left on the table either. In fact, I believe my program helped contribute greatly to our success as I was able to bring in various ideas from the program. Again, I think this is a benefit of spreading risk and having multiple things floating around in your head all the time.
Yes, there were crazy hours for a while, but I was able to meet all my obligations quite well. And nothing really changed fundamentally when we “took off” except we were making a lot more money and having a lot more fun!
This time around, I expect to be in even a better position to manage a “take off,” which I hope happens, but I am not expecting such. After all, like you say, any traction is difficult.