The Biggest Problem with the Ease of Internet Business

Internet Makes Things Too EasyI’m building an Internet business, and I also know a lot of others who are doing the same.  I think the Internet is by far the greatest invention of all time, and it opens up so many opportunities that never existed before.  But there is a big problem with how easy the Internet makes things, and not a lot of people discuss it.

Like Yin and Yang, with ease comes complacency.  Steve Jobs said it best:

The problem with the Internet startup craze isn’t that too many people are starting companies; it’s that too many people aren’t sticking with it.  That’s somewhat understandable, because there are so many moments that are filled with dispair and agony, when you have to fire people and cancel things and deal with very difficult situations.  That’s when you find out who you are and what your values are.

Given how easy it is to start things on the Internet, we almost expect our success to come easy as well.  Too bad it doesn’t happen that way…ever!

 

The Internet Makes Things Too Easy

The Internet mindset almost makes things too easy, and tricks entrepreneurs into thinking that success will happen overnight.  However, I can attest from experience that it takes years to build traction online.  Yes, some people do it much faster, but most of the ones who make things happen quickly also have years of failures behind them that they don’t really talk about.

And since anyone with $20 can go out and buy a domain name and hosting, and setup a website, it gives false hopes of success.  Let me just setup this website, and people will starting finding me via Google tomorrow!  Good luck!

But then trouble strikes: nobody comes.  You hit a little adversity.  Even if you’ve been running a semi-successful site, you can strike adversity.  Look at how many “big name” sites have been shutting down this last year – Adaptu, Posterous, and more.  These were sites that were seeing hundreds of thousands of visitors and they couldn’t sustain a business.  Sill easy?

 

Why Entrepreneurs Fail

In the end, it it’s all about the entrepreneur’s mindset that decides success or failure.  Yes, one business startup may fail, but you can easily create others that can be successful – Yin and Yang.  That’s why I’m all about building an online publishing company that has multiple income streams.  If I am going to quit my job and become an entrepreneur, I want their to be sustainability in the overall business – I know that I can’t be dependent on one site and put all my eggs in one basket.

Heck, I’ve already learned a lot about doing this – I’ve been struck by Google updates, I’ve had servers crash – things happen.  You not only have to be prepared, but you have to deal with the overall macro-economic environment of the ever changing Internet.

But true entrepreneurs – ones that have it in their blood – will succeed.  They succeed because they have built up the skills needed to succeed.  And every failure, every point of adversity, gives them the strength and the tools needed to take it to the next level on the next project.

What struggles have you encountered?  Does the ease of the Internet trick your mind sometimes?

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Comments

  1. I would have to say that this is very to. Too many people think and want it to be easy to make money without putting in the work. Sure you hear the stories of people making thousands of dollars online but you don’t know the amount of work and effort they put in. And once they succeed with one they learn how to do it more effectively with less effort to make even money. The struggles I had were the same which was I expected to make money because others where making it. Fell into the trap of it being so easy to get into that the money would be easy as well. Didn’t happen.

  2. The internet is tricky, so very tricky. You know what makes it worse? Crowdfunding. I tried starting my own business through crowdfunding, and at first is was 50/50. I didn’t make any money on the campaign, but in two months time, I had a fully self-funded product to offer the web. Too bad the web wasn’t listening and I had to let go of my team. Currently, my comic book is just sitting on the web while I redefine my resources.
    http://thedaemoschronicles.co/

  3. It’s easy to start something up–not so easy to create true value. I think that’s where the difference comes in.

  4. Having tried my hands at a couple websites in the past, which never really took off, I can totally agree with this. Those that stick with it and get back up when they fail will be the ones succeeding. I’m giving websites yet another shot and hope this time to find something that sticks. Wish me luck.

  5. The biggest trick is thinking that if you put something out there, you will become John Chow and make $50k a month. That doesn’t happen. I believe that you have to work harder than you would with a standard job.

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