Through this article, Deursen emphasizes that successful entrepreneurs are often driven by passion rather than money, willing to take risks to solve meaningful problems.
Michiel Van Deursen
If you’re starting a business, you must be a bit mad. It demands all your energy, all your time and the chances of success are slim. Even investors expect that only one in 10 entrepreneurs they back will truly succeed—at least financially.
As an investor, I see that most successful founders aren’t driven by money. They’re usually creative people who spot a problem they’re determined to solve. They have an idea, an insight—something that, in hindsight, seems obvious but requires courage and risk-taking to pursue.
Startups have a lifespan of more than seven years, so you can’t approach it like a job where you follow the path of successful friends who’ve joined big companies. Mortgages, children, expensive dinners—none of that fits in those early years. Everything goes into the startup. And beyond the financial risk, there’s the emotional toll—long hours, constant uncertainty and the feeling that nobody really understands why you’re putting yourself through it.
That’s why an immense amount of passion and resilience is essential. You need the ability to keep reinventing the wheel, to push through setbacks while everyone around you seems to be doing better. To live on a tight budget—or even in debt— while the outcome remains uncertain. And just when you think you’re getting somewhere, you realise how much of this game comes down to timing, luck and being in the right place at the right moment.
“You need the ability to keep reinventing the wheel, to push through setbacks while everyone around you seems to be doing better. To live on a tight budget— or even in debt—while the outcome remains uncertain”
And once you bring investors on board, it only gets tougher. Suddenly, you’re on a timeline, forced to put your instincts into words and your vision into graphs. The right investors can add value, but more often than not, you’re better off without people breathing down your neck, waiting for a jackpot—or for you to fail.
You have to stay positive, keep believing in yourself and your business and maintain a long-term vision. A startup isn’t for everyone and you only ever hear the success stories. The media loves to talk about overnight successes, but nobody talks about the years of grinding that came before. So, if you meet an entrepreneur, support them and understand that it’s never as easy as it looks.
To all the entrepreneurs out there, respect and thank you for your hard work. You drive innovation and dreams—things our society desperately needs. Yes, you have to be a bit mad to start a business—but without that madness, the world would be a much duller place.
