What No One Tells You About Entrepreneurship—But You Need to Hear

The Hard Truths About Entrepreneurship No One Talks About

When people think of entrepreneurs, they picture two extremes: the successful business owner with the nice car, a house, and the global lifestyle, or the relentless grinder who works from sunrise to sunset, barely coming up for air.

There’s some truth to both.

Entrepreneurship comes with certain freedoms. I recognize that I have control over my time in a way that most people working for a company don’t. But that freedom has trade-offs—ones that rarely get discussed.

Entrepreneurship is fucking hard. And I’m not saying that to discourage you. If you’re in the middle of it—or just getting started—you need to know you’re not alone.

But first, let me tell you why it’s worth it.

Why the Struggle is Worth It

In 2024, I was sitting at Soho House in Mexico City with April and our friend Lesha, someone we met while traveling. It was a Thursday, around 2 PM, and we were getting hungry, so we ordered food and we all ended up ordering a cocktail. After taking a sip, I closed my laptop and said, “Eh, we got what we needed to done—it’s been a productive week.” April and I were caught up in a conversation about some work challenges when Lesha cut in:

“It’s 2 PM on a Thursday, we’re at this beautiful place, and you just decided to close your laptop and have a drink. I’d say life isn’t that bad.”

That moment stuck with me because she was right. I had been so caught up in the stress of work that I forgot what we had built—a life where we get to choose how we spend our time. I may not be where I want to be financially yet, but having that choice? That’s a kind of wealth that money alone can’t provide.

That freedom only exists because of the risks we took, the sacrifices we made, and the lessons we learned along the way. It’s easy to look at someone else’s success and assume it was a straight path forward. What you don’t see are the failures, the pivots, and the mental battles behind the scenes.

Despite all the hard lessons and difficult stretches, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. If you’re in this, I want you to know that the struggle is part of the process. It’s the price of entry.

So let’s talk about it.

1. You Will Feel Isolated

Entrepreneurship is lonely. Not just in the beginning, but at every stage of growth.

In the early phases, you’ll realize that some of your closest friends don’t understand why you’re working late instead of going out. They’ll tell you to “relax” or “take a break” because they don’t feel the urgency that you do.

Even when you try to explain what you’re building, unless they’ve been through it themselves, there’s a gap in understanding. You’ll have conversations where you try to articulate a challenge, only to be met with generic advice or blank stares.

Then, as you grow, you’ll feel a new kind of isolation. You’re not quite where you want to be, but you’re not where you started either. You’ll meet people who are further ahead, and while you may be feeling inspired, you might feel like you don’t belong.

This stage tests you. It’s where a lot of people quit. But if you push through it, you start to find the people who do understand. Other builders. Other creators. People who know what it’s like to bet on themselves.

You are not alone. The feeling of belonging will come in time. Keep going.

2. It’s an Emotional Rollercoaster

One day, everything is working. The next, nothing is.

You’ll try ideas that fail. You’ll test strategies that go nowhere. You’ll get advice from people who don’t understand your vision. And you will question yourself more times than you can count.

You’ll make money. You’ll lose money. Your bank account will grow. Then it’ll go negative. You’ll feel invincible one day and like you have no idea what you’re doing the next.

It’s exhausting, but it’s also part of the process. If you’re waiting for a version of entrepreneurship where everything is predictable, you’ll never find it. Business is chaotic. Markets change. Customers shift. The only way to survive is to learn how to move forward even when you don’t feel like it.

The ones who make it are the ones who don’t let the highs get to their head or the lows break their spirit. They take the punches, process what they’re feeling, and move forward anyway.

3. You Will Fall—Hard. But You Only Fail If You Stay Down

Falling is inevitable.

If I listed every time something didn’t work out, this would be a trilogy. The point is, you will make decisions that don’t pan out. You will experience losses. But that’s not failure.

Failure happens when you stop getting back up.

Every successful entrepreneur you look up to has been knocked down—repeatedly. The difference between them and the ones who never make it isn’t that they never fell. It’s that they refused to stay down.

4. You Will Be Forced to Confront Your Weaknesses

Entrepreneurship doesn’t just challenge you—it exposes you.

Every insecurity, every bad habit, every flaw in your character will come to the surface. And you will either evolve, or you will be dissolved by them.

Every stage of your business demands a different version of you. And the hardest part? Being honest about where you fall short.

It’s easy to say, “This is just who I am.” But if you’re looking for an identity that keeps your ego comfortable, entrepreneurship isn’t for you.

Entrepreneurship will show you the parts of yourself that need to change. The question is—are you willing to change?

The Reality About These Hard Truths

I’m not telling you this to discourage you. It’s the opposite. I want you to succeed.

Most articles about entrepreneurship focus on “Don’t make these mistakes.” But let me tell you something—you will make mistakes. You will face these challenges. No amount of preparation will allow you to avoid them.

In fact, the goal shouldn’t be to avoid these things. It’s to know that when they happen, you’re not alone.

This path isn’t easy. But for those who are willing to walk it, it’s worth it.

So when you hit those hard moments—when you feel isolated, when the rollercoaster gets unbearable, when you fall—remember this:

It’s all part of the journey. Keep going.