The business is closing quietly

I don't know how many times I've heard from my partners at Kubota, 'You had a great idea' regarding the revival of the iconic brand.

Every time, I think that in business, there is nothing more overrated than 'great ideas.' Reviving Kubota was such a complicated process that, in essence, the idea itself was probably the easiest part of what we did in those five years. To be clear, I understand where this glorification of the great idea comes from – it stems from a very human tendency to simplify complex realities, mainly for the sake of hyped-up PR myths about founding.

Those 'brilliant' moments of coming up with great ideas are indeed very catchy, or rather, click-worthy headlines. Despite this, I wouldn't have a problem with this trivialization of professional successes if it weren't so harmful. I think at least once a week someone tells me they have a great business idea (usually a restaurant because they like to cook, or possibly eat, or a clothing brand because they like fashion), and knowing that person and listening to their 'business plan,' I only see one thing: trouble. Meaning wasted time and money, and in the long term, frustration, loss of self-belief, and depression. And it's not that people who run their own businesses are better than those who don't – they just usually have a set of other necessary skills. There's no point in making comparisons here, as people we are different, and the most important thing is not to harm ourselves with our choices.

The article by Michał Zaczyński perfectly shows how much harm can come from going it alone, guided only by faith in an idea, without a deeper analysis of one's own character traits, financial possibilities, know-how, and hard managerial skills (or the potential to acquire them).

(link here in polish: https://michalzaczynski.com/2023/09/01/firme-zamknelam-po-cichu-przeplakalam-przez-nia-wiele-tygodni-z-ewa-szabatin-rozmawiam-o-jej-przygodzie-z-branza-mody/)

In conclusion, my point is not to dissuade from running a business, not at all! Great ideas and belief in them are necessary to start a company, but I strongly encourage treating these wonderful ideas as your biggest enemy and shooting them down from every possible angle. While in medicine it is often said to first not harm, in business, this is said far too infrequently 😉

A photo was taken in Kyoto, Japan in 2012. It depicts the iconic Torii gates of the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine.