12 insights for emerging social entrepreneurs

The life of a startup social entrepreneur is typically hectic, characterized by extensive to-do lists, and feels like juggling ten balls without dropping any. There’s immense pressure to not only launch your idea but also prove its viability. Reflecting on my journey a few years ago, here are some lessons I’ve learned:

1. Embrace What You Don’t Know: It’s okay to be unfamiliar with setting up an organization, understanding legal structures, making plans, or building a team. When I started, I didn’t know many of these things, but I found people who did and were willing to help. Rather than worrying about your gaps in knowledge, seek out and rely on mentors, advisors, board members, experts, and consultants.

2. Hire for Skills You Lack: Often, we get bogged down learning skills we’re either not interested in or don’t possess. Instead, hire someone with the necessary skill set quickly. For instance, despite my background in commerce, I knew little about accounting, so I hired a part-time accountant from the start.

3. Delegate Implementation Tasks Quickly: Personally handling projects leaves little room for management. Once you have the funds, start hiring so you can step away from implementation. This will free up your time for project management, networking, fundraising, and impact assessment.

4. Prioritize Self-Care: The drive to succeed can make work seem more important than your well-being, but this is costly. I experienced burnout within a few years and struggled to recover. It’s crucial to take care of yourself from the beginning by ensuring adequate sleep, timely meals, rest, and engaging in activities that inspire you. Remember, you’re as important as the work you do, if not more.

5. Value Your Time: Be intentional about where you spend your time. For instance, I would leave lengthy discussions that didn’t add much value to our plans and execution. Equally important is delegation. Hand over tasks as soon as possible to avoid being overwhelmed and to focus on what truly needs your attention.

6. Be a ‘Real-Optimist’: While well-meaning people might say, “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out,” it’s important to be a ‘real-optimist’. This means being optimistic but also realistic. Plan thoroughly, understand the risks, and know how you will mitigate them. As a leader responsible for many, it’s essential to aspire while staying grounded in reality.

7. Foster a Valued Organizational Culture: Co-create a value-based culture within the organization, review it periodically, and continuously align your team with it. A strong value-culture is a critical determinant of an organization’s success.