What was your initial motivation for starting a business?
People’s motivations for wanting something of their own vary quite a lot.
So far, though, I’ve most often heard these three answers:
To make a lot of money.
To work really hard until 30 so I can relax later in life.
Time and location freedom.
Of course, these don’t exclude each other; we can want all of them at once.
But when things don’t go well, do you remind yourself of the main reason you started? Is it a strong enough motive and push to keep going? What is it for you?
In my case, it was this:
I really didn’t like the idea that one day in life, I would have to
– follow a fixed schedule,– work with people who might not even like me, and
– do things that don’t interest me, don’t make sense to me, or that I simply wouldn’t learn anything from.
And what scared me the most was that work would interfere so much with my free time that I wouldn’t be able to do the activities I enjoy, like exercising. So for me, fear was probably the strongest factor.
Replies
For me, it was the realization that I didn’t want to be a "ghost" in someone else's machine.
I spent so much time building for others, only to see products fail because they lacked a human connection. That’s actually what led me to build RoastMyLanding. I became obsessed with "Trust Leaks"—the tiny gaps where founders (like us) accidentally hide their humanity behind corporate jargon and lose their freedom because the sales aren't coming in.
When things get tough, I remind myself that I'm helping other builders move from "Dead on Arrival" to actually being seen. Replacing fear with "Trust" is a pretty strong fuel for me. 🌶️
Freedom is the goal, but "Trust" is the currency that gets us there. Love your perspective.
@ayeshabuilds Your line “Trust is the currency” — 100% agree. In my case, it’s been user feedback that carried me through some pretty tough phases. That’s probably the most real form of trust there is. Really like how you framed that.
@kyomobileapp Spot on, Tanja! User feedback is the only truth that matters.
In fact, it was feedback from this community that pushed me to overhaul my entire engine. People didn't just want a 'roast'; they wanted a roadmap to fix those trust gaps.
I just pushed the v2 'Trust Leak™' framework live this morning to reflect that—moving from 'brutal' to 'actionable.' Feedback really is the fuel. Would love to know what you think of the new logic if you have a second! 🚀
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@ayeshabuilds When you promptly respond to user feedback, it is a sign you can (and that response can be a feature improvement, etc.). Good example.
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@amm8 And how is the plan going? According to expectations?
I've just always liked building things. Building a business is the pinnacle of building something imo. It brings so many different disciplines together.
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@nemofoo That's a founder mode :) Tinkering around and do things that make sense to you :)
@nemofoo Same! It's addicting, seeing your vision come to life. Making other people happy with what you built is such an amazing feeling.
Of course I want to make money on what I build, but more than that, I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it. Almstins does just that. I have all the information in one place, so if I ever get audited, or asked about a specific transaction I have an answer. In today's world of AML / KYC / ABA? and a fist full of other prying acronyms, we need more than ever to know about every transaction. --With this AlmsTins launched, and summer heading out way, I am currently working on a teachers calendar that supports phonics, and grammar games.
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@dstr88 I like this conscious approach. Many people just wanna make money, and the meaning of the business is not seen, but when you have that "WHY" – it is a totally different story! :)
@busmark_w_nika thank you
Loooove this topic!
In my case, I grew up with my parents encouraging me to try things (sports, drama club, debates, volunteering etc), and I think they were just laying the foundation of my multi-passionate way of being. During university, I naturally went towards exploring marketing roles where I was a one-person marketing team, then freelancing gigs started coming, and before knowing, I was a freelancer working with multiple startups at the same time while juggling a full-time role.
Starting to build my own products was, imo, just another natural step 😅
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@ruxandra_mazilu Love the answer ;) Your parents had the right approach, because you are versatile now which puts you in the better position! :)
I love building things
I aim to work hard while I'm still young (at heart) to enjoy it later
Making someone's life 1% better
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@zakiah_hashim I think that this was summarised pretty well! :)
Scade.pro
The willingness to dream and make my ideas a reality, to test hypotheses and move forward, without unnecessary bureaucracy or having to seek approval from superiors.
And also a sparkle in my eyes that would be genuine and inspire my children. That happens when you do what you truly love, not just because you have to.
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@maria_anosova To what extent did you manage to fulfill this original dream?
Hedy AI
Hello, do you feel like your motivation has changed since you started, or is it still driven by that same fear?
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@kate_sleeman It is changing over time. With skill, the courage also grows and my priorities change too :)
At 25 I wanted to start a software development business, mostly for the money and the freedom I imagined came with it. Now at 37, watching my CEO, who is also a good friend, spend most of his time managing people and processes rather than building things, I realize I'm genuinely happier as a developer. I have more freedom than he does in a lot of ways, and none of the headaches that come with running the show. That could change, but right now I'm not in a hurry to trade places.
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@sk_uxpin Sometimes it is about finding those good companions. If they are okay, they will understand you need freedom and some own space for work :)
@busmark_w_nika hell yeah, I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday (he's an entrepreneur in the estate business), and we got to the same conclusion: it's so hard to fine a good companion that you can trust and delegate to...
This is a question that really resonates with me. For me, it was never primarily about money or even freedom in the typical sense.
There were two main reasons why I started my own business.
First, I wanted to be my own boss — not just in terms of independence, but because I’ve always struggled with simply executing things without thinking for myself. I need to understand, question, and shape what I’m working on.
Second, and more importantly, I wanted to build something that genuinely creates value for others. Not something driven by the goal of maximizing profit, but something meaningful — something that helps people in a real way.
I realized that things that helped me personally could potentially help others too, and that became a strong driver.
Over the past 10 years of doing this, there have definitely been multiple crises — both financially and mentally challenging phases.
What has kept me going through all of that has been the feedback from my app users. Knowing that something I built actually makes a difference for someone else — that’s been more motivating than anything else. And in the end, that’s still the reason I keep going.
Reading your perspective, I can really relate to that idea of having a strong underlying reason — whether it’s fear, purpose, or something else. In the end, I think having that kind of anchor is what actually carries you through when things don’t go as planned.
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@kyomobileapp It seems we all need that "higher" purpose to try things over and over again even when it gets hard! :) Thank you for opening this here.