“You can do anything, but not everything.” - McKeown
Somewhere along the way, “solopreneur” stopped meaning scrappy and started meaning sacrificial.
Since I started my first business over six years ago, I’ve seen the term solopreneur thrown around like it’s a badge of honor. But in reality? I think it’s a toxic myth.
In my work with business owners, I’ve learned one simple truth: everyone needs help with something. You can’t wear every hat and still expect to deliver excellent results.
The Reality: Solopreneurs Burn Out Fast
Let’s look at the numbers:
- 20% of small businesses fail in year one
- 30% fail by year two
- By year five? Half are gone.
- By year ten? Less than 30% survive.
I believe one reason is this persistent myth that you have to do it all yourself.
Being “Busy” Isn’t a Business Strategy
Stop taking pride in being busy for busyness' sake. It's not noble. It's not sustainable.
Start by identifying:
- What drains you (aka the irritating tasks)
- What lights you up (aka your zone of genius or fascinating tasks)
“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” - Sinek
"Your best performances will come when you are working in a way that is a full expression of you. The work becomes a natural display of your personality. This is when you not only get better results, but also love the activity — because in doing the craft, you feel alive." - Clear
What to Do with the Stuff You Hate
If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, I recommend reading about Dan Sullivan’s ABC Model Breakthrough, which I’ve covered extensively before.
Then, delegate the irritating work.
Not sure where to start? Look into fractional services: specialists who can handle high-skill work for a fraction of the time (and cost).
For example:
- We offer fractional COO and CTO services for clients needing operational and tech assistance.
- There are fractional pros in almost every business discipline today.
Bonus Tip: Delegate to Tech, Too
Don’t forget about your digital teammates. Leveraging AI tools can be a fantastic way to handle repetitive tasks and free up your mental bandwidth.
Unsure how to begin? We offer a course designed to help beginners get started.
The Point? You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
There are people (and tools, so many tools) designed to help you succeed.
“Your HumanOS crashes when it’s constantly pushed past its limits.” Justin Welsh
So stop glorifying the struggle.
Stop believing you have to do it all.
And most importantly: stop building a business you’re trying to escape from.
Ponder This
- What would your business look like if you only did the work that fascinated you?
- What task are you holding onto just because of pride?
- What’s costing you more: hiring help, or continuing to attempt to do it all?
Books
- The ABC Model Breakthrough - Dan Sullivan
- Essentialism – Greg McKeown
- Start with Why – Simon Sinek
- 3-2-1 - James Clear
- Unsubscribe - Justin Welsh
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