Kill your enthusiasm

Photo Courtesy of: Jeremy 白杰瑞

I'm built out of enthusiasm, it bubbles in my veins and shoots out my orifices like sunshine out of a unicorn. However, even I believe it is a bit too enthusiastic to refer to this economy as a great opportunity for entrepreneurs.
It seems that everything we read and many commenter's (it's a word because I just used it) are basing their thoughts off of this notion that this economy is such a great chance for people to get out and start companies on their own.


I've got an awesome guy working for Metro who was laid off from his job and works for us now trying to get more refined at his trade. His previous job was as a land surveyor and after getting laid off he said he realized that his company was twenty years behind when it comes to technology and the program they were working with.
He went out and spent a few thousands dollars out of his own pocket to buy the newest program and is educating himself so that he can get back in the field.
If people actually commented on this blog they would say things like "He should learn the program and become a freelancer" or "What a great opportunity to get out on his own with his newly acquired skill set".


Just because your screwed and you've got no better options does not make that a great opportunity.
A great opportunity was ten years ago when you could be mediocre, ten (or more) years behind on technology, under trained and still hold down a job for 60k. Newsflash, if working yourself to death and self educating work now they would have worked ten fold in a flourishing economy.
Starting out on your own when you are not even worth your salary to an existing company is not a great opportunity, it may be your only opportunity and I'm glad something got you moving, but come on.


Go out and kill it today, do something great today, but realize that in five or ten years when the economy has turned around and homes are going up in price every year and everyone is a stock investing genius, that is a great opportunity.
Great opportunities are usually surrounded by a bunch of good opportunities, vary rarely does everything fall to pieces leaving you only one option that just happens to be great.
Do what you have to do, but don't settle for good because at that point you are turning down great.