In this final instalment of interviews with Owen Rees-Hayward of thingloop I ask the Bristol-based businessman about risk, criticism and optimism.
thingloop makes it easy to lend and borrow physical objects (tools, books, DVDs and so on) with people in your social network. Save money. Save the planet. Borrow stuff.
Do you need a one-track mind to succeed with a new business?
“You need to be a realistic optimist. Business start-ups involve risk, there’s no escaping it. So you need to be comfortable with the risks involved, and whilst straining for success you need to be aware that failure is a possibility.
“On the flip-side, even if you succeed you will undoubtedly make mistakes along the way, and these will most likely be public! You need a certain confidence to embrace the possibility of public failure, and criticism, it’s not something that anyone dreams of.”
What kind of support can you expect from friends and family?
“That’s an interesting question. Starting a business is not something most people do, so most of your friends and family probably won’t understand a lot of what you’ll go through. At times this can lead to feeling lonely and isolated. You need to be able to cope with these times.”
How?
“Co-working, shared office-space and incubators can ease this, helping you connect with others in a similar situation.
“Along the way you have good and bad days. Being able to step back, get perspective and not take things personally goes a long way to keeping you sane!”
Image via cowcoop.org