OK, you have gone through all of the questions that Gary set out for you, but now’s the toughest one of all: Do you have the support network at home for this?
Start-ups are not for the faint of heart. You will be putting in hours of work – possibly for little or no pay at first. Definitely a lot of time and effort will be put forth. That time, effort, and often, money, could be going somewhere else. It turns out that those things are not an infinite resource. Darn.
That means the most important question that you will have to ask is to your significant others: Can WE do this?
James Kademan in his BOLD Business Book has a great story from his wife about when he announced he was going to start a business. I suggest you read her thoughts about that turbulent time, then think how that might apply to you and your family. Don’t have a spouse? That doesn’t mean that your family and friends won’t be affected. Be ready for that. They may be shy about telling you, or they may be very vocal about missing your shiny, happy face.
On top of them not seeing you as often as they would like, you will need sounding boards. At some point (actually at lots of points), you will ask yourself, “Is this crazy? Am I crazy?” It is really good if you have someone to ask that to and get an honest response.
So, yes, be sure to think through all of the prior questions, but all of that will matter little if you don’t have your support network. Therefore, get a favorite meal together, sit down and talk about your wild plans and why they aren’t so wild at all. Show all the answers to all the prior questions, and then promise to hold your breath until they say yes.