So Simple, It's Hard

Sharing my take on startup advice, why meetings aren’t always it, and what matters when you're an entrepreneur starting on a new venture.

After reading Carol Roth's article on "5 myths and one really big truth" as well as Steve Tobak's article, "Want to be successful? Quit being entitled." There was nothing in either article that stood out to me as “incorrect”; however, I thought that Steve Tobak spoke in many absolutes, specifically about the meetings. Do I hate meetings? It depends. Do I hate a lot of them? Absolutely. However, I can’t agree with his statement about not knowing if a meeting will be a waste of time. There are times when surprises happen; however, in my experience, when there are more than five people in a meeting, nothing important truly occurs (Tobak, 2015). At least, nothing that necessitated a meeting. While I understand that talking it out is necessary, that’s when I would be overly critical of who truly needs to attend. I have been to too many work meetings where the product managers are going in circles, I’m not needed, and all I could think about was my overflowing list of features due in my Azure queue. The PMs should have been more critical of attendance in those meetings and understood that they needed a small meeting to hash out requirements before wasting the designers’ time.

On the flip side, I resonated with Tobak’s discussion on how people avoid taking on difficult tasks. It makes me think of one of my favorite strength programmers’ taglines, “So Simple, It’s Hard” (PPSA, n.d.). Free will is quite a thing, and dedication often serves as the dividing line for those who say versus do. A podcast I listen to, MOPs & MOEs, mentioned an interesting quote that has stuck with me: “People don’t want to be informed, but want to feel informed” (MOPs & MOEs, 2025, 8:20). I think this supports the articles, especially Carol Roth’s article discussing the myths and truths with entrepreneurship (Roth, 2025).

Everything Roth discusses in her article is familiar to me, so there were no surprises. I listen to many Chris Do podcasts, and he always talks to different types of creative entrepreneurs while diving into tough topics. He likes to say that he creates “unsafe space” because discussing the difficult things helps you grow. I liked Roth’s “rule of threes” a lot. I hadn't heard that before and liked that rule of thumb. As I outline my timeline, I try to give extra time for tasks, and now I will ensure that I give even more time for completing items.

Going into this venture, I understand I must do everything unless I outsource it. When I come across things I realize I hate doing, I plan to outsource those tasks. One thing I know I will outsource is finances, or at the very least, taxes. And then there are legal matters; I will outsource those too. I also understand that if I accept anyone else’s money for investment, I hand over the “boss” title. This is why I plan not to accept any investment money; I do not want a stakeholder to have to report to. Because of this, I understand that my path will take longer, which I am okay with.

As I move forward, I also plan to remain aware of progress and whether any demands arise that I could address by pivoting my venture to meet customer needs. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart; it is by no means easy and far from a “get rich quick” scheme. Many influencers romanticize the moments of being a successful entrepreneur, yet skip the gritty details or, worse, are not truthful in their content. Free will is extraordinary, and I think it's important to question everything and think critically, not only as an entrepreneur but also to live a good life.

References

MOPs & MOEs. (2025, January 19). Make America Healthy Again: Our Thoughts (Part 2). MOPs and MOEs. https://mopsnmoes.com/podcast/make-america-healthy-again-part-2

PEN AND PAPER STRENGTH APP [PPSA]. (n.d.) Pen and Paper Strength App (@penandpaperstrengthapp) https://instagram.com/penandpaperstrengthapp/

Roth, C. (2015, May 20). 5 myths -- and one really big truth -- about being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur. https://entrepreneur.com/leadership/5-myths-and-one-really-big-truth-about-being-an/246425

Tobak, S. (2015, June 29). Want to be successful? Quit being entitled. Entrepreneur. https://entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/want-to-be-successful-quit-being-entitled/247790