The road goes ever on and on
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Words to live by. In looking for what I was to become as a grown-up, I found some pretty interesting things, and learned a lot about myself. I didn’t end up where I thought I’d end up at, but I’m happy I got to where I am now.
Working with startups and entrepreneurship was never my plan. There aren’t any entrepreneurs in my family, so the drive to be a part of building a company from scratch wasn’t secretly transmitted to me through mothers’ milk either.
I always knew I wanted to help people, and that’s probably also why I wanted to become a doctor originally. But life has a way of throwing curveballs at you, and I never got into med school.
So I made a mistake: I settled for the next best thing, which to me at the time was cell biological research. The subject piqued my interest, and I got to study more of the subjects I most enjoyed during my school years, chemistry and biology. But there was always a misalignment. My drive to work with people and help them wasn’t satisfied in this sometimes-lonely field. I tried changing from basic cell biological research to drug development, but although the methods and goals changed a little, the essence of the work stayed the same.
I’m really lucky that I’m not good at settling for something that I’m not happy with. It just took me a while to figure out that research was not for me.
In the midst of realizing I was in the wrong field, I stumbled onto Boost Turku. My friends were participating in Startup Journey 2014, and I was amazed by the sharp and unexpected turn their lives had taken. To be honest, I never thought of these guys as entrepreneurial, but that to me made their story that much more inspiring and interesting.
The sheer amount of things my friends were learning and experiencing during one summer was mind-boggling. I sat in the audience when FakeFish won Startup Journey, and that moment was a turning point for me too.
Two things dawned on me then: I realized I needed to be a part of Boost Turku, the mysterious organization that was enabling the transformation of regular guys to entrepreneurs. I also realized I was not going to be satisfied before I’d be a part of building a company that can have a real, positive impact on peoples lives.
Now that I’m writing this, I’m happy to say both of these goals have been fulfilled. I’ve been the treasurer and vice chairman of Boost Turku for just over 6 months, and I’ve already learned so much from the people in our community. Most importantly, I’ve learned a mindset of staying hungry and curious. I’m not embarrassed to aim for the stars any more.
I’ve also started working on Tinki.com – a new kind of platform for buying and offering services, from marketing to personal training to household maintenance. Tinki aims to revolutionize the way we work in Finland, and is going to enable others to do what I’ve done too: trying your wings as an entrepreneur, and making a living doing the things you love. We launched the service just a few weeks ago, but already there are several hundred users, and work flowing through the platform. We’re still in beta, and the service is completely free to use, so now is a great time to give it a try!
I’m focusing on customer service, a field in which I think I have natural talent for. I’ve already learned tons about selling too, by just having to try it out. I get to work with helping people on a daily basis now, and feel aligned with the large goal of Tinki: helping people succeed in the rapidly changing labor market.
The unique thing about working in a startup however, is the variety of things you get exposed to and have a say in. I get to work with brilliant people and learn new things every day. It’s because I feel like the dumbest guy in the room that I know I’m in the right place.
I’m more excited about my future than I have ever been since I started my studies back in 2009. I’m excited and nervous simultaneously, and know the statistical chances for a success in the startup world are slim. But who cares: the journey is the destination.
Thanks to Boost Turku, I’m ready for the ride.
Original Author: Boostturku