Entrepreneurship and Meaning: A Personal Journey in Finding Purpose

Everyone's entrepreneurship story starts somewhere.

ֿMine began in the shadow of a personal tragedy when I lost my father in a car accident. It was a life-altering experience that propelled me onto a path I hadn't planned - starting with a bunch of colleagues, a tech initiative to prevent car accidents. I was driven by the shared experiences of thinking about other children who, like me, had lost their fathers.

 

As much as it was a mission, it was also a personal therapy, a way to make sense of my loss. I believe that without the deep meaning, I might have, at some point, said to myself that it’s not worth the daily challenges of entrepreneurship: at first, not being sure whether this will happen; then, handling every other crisis.

 

But as time passed, I wanted to venture onto a different path. The world of car accident prevention was invaluable, but I yearned to use my entrepreneurial spirit to tackle other challenges after achieving a significant impact. With the understanding that, at least for me, it is impossible to build a venture without having a deep meaning, I tried figuring out what was so meaningful to me and how to replicate it without a profoundly personal, painful story.

 

Embracing a New Mission

Today, I lead a startup with a mission to help college students thrive. The vision now isn't guided by a single image of my father but by countless faces and countless stories of students struggling, aspiring, and persisting. It's a different kind of motivation but compelling enough to endure.

 

From Personal Experience to Guiding Principles

As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves learning from personal experiences. Reflecting on my journey and the lessons it taught me, I can't help but draw parallels with the experiences of some world-class entrepreneurs. 

 

Now, I'm not suggesting I'm on par with these industry legends, but their journeys offer guiding principles that resonate with my own experiences that can help us all:

1. Alignment with Personal Values: Whitney Wolfe Herd, The founder of Bumble, a dating app where women make the first move, built her company on the values of empowering women and challenging traditional gender norms. Her personal experiences and passion for creating a safer online dating environment shaped the app’s unique selling proposition and mission.
   
   In my humble way, I can relate to this principle. My first venture was a profoundly personal one, sprung from the values instilled in me through my life experience, and thinking about which pain is painful enough to solve during some of “those days” a cause that keeps you going, to me, is vital.

2. Intrinsic Motivation and Passion: The world-renowned psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a testament to the power of intrinsic motivation. While I'm not precisely studying 'flow' (even though we help getting there!), I have been led by a similar passion/fear of not fulfilling my full potential and assisting students in thriving, driven by their stories of resilience and ambition.

3. Impact and Contribution: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder of Biocon, India's largest biopharmaceutical company, is renowned for her work in the healthcare industry. Her contributions have helped make healthcare more accessible and affordable in India, reflecting her deep commitment to making a positive impact. While most of us are not doing exactly that, we can aspire to create a significant impact by making a difference in our specific challenge.

4. Authenticity and Autonomy: Richard Branson, with his bold, unapologetic entrepreneurial spirit, is a fascinating figure. His commitment to authenticity resonates with me as I've navigated my path, seeking out ventures that feel true to who I am, even if they might be more demanding and challenging.

 

Conclusion

While we all might be modest entrepreneurs compared to the likes of  Branson, our journey can be a testament to the power of personal narratives in shaping our entrepreneurial path. 

It's about aligning our work with our values, nurturing our passions, striving to make an impact, embracing growth, and maintaining authenticity. As we step forward, we must carry these principles with us, intertwining them with our narratives as we navigate the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship. I know that, at least for me, it’s impossible to handle the strides of daily entrepreneurship without having a deep meaning to what I do.