The Darkside of Entrepreneurship
Starting a business is something that has become extremely popular within the mainstream. Buzzwords like “financial freedom” and “breaking the 9-5” have not only taken over our phone screens but have disillusioned many from understanding the real challenges that come with becoming an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is NOT for the weak and neither is it a get-rich-quick scheme. Being an entrepreneur is understanding that there is always a very high chance of failure, but the difference between successful entrepreneurs and unsuccessful ones is how they deal with that failure.
The business scene in Qatar has experienced an incredible surge in startups. I’m sure you’ve noticed a new cafe or burger concept appearing every other second. Despite a boom in entrepreneurship usually being great for any country’s economy, the startup scene in Qatar, particularly for the F&B industry, has notably become a trend for the wealthy class. Starting a business already withholds a high chance of failure; pair that with starting it for the sake of following a trend, is just a recipe for disaster.
The increased growth rate of startups in Qatar has also been naturally observed to be consistent with the increased rate of startup failure. The social pressure amongst young entrepreneurs to flaunt their successes, put together with the negative societal stigma surrounding failure, leaves no room for unsuccessful entrepreneurs to gather in a secure environment to truthfully share their experiences. The negative social impact from failing needs to not only be addressed but also de-stigmatized in order for Qatari entrepreneurs to reach, achieve, and surpass the levels of entrepreneurial success they aspire to attain.
At J.Portman we believe that the potential for business success in Qatar is far too great to be diminished by superficial social constructs. For this reason, we are hosting a #WHATHAPPENED series, an event where experts discuss unpopular and unaddressed topics in Qatar, and individuals can share their experiences and gain insight in return.
Our first event in the series will be “What Happened to Failure”. In this event, successful entrepreneurs will share their experiences and challenges through their entrepreneurial career. They will share the darkside of entrepreneurship and not just the successes; giving you a true glimpse at the realities that come with starting a business.
Join us and partake in this insightful learning experience on September 7th, 2022 at Innovation Cafe, 7pm. Looking forward to seeing you there!
