Starting a Business Takes Courage: Think It Through Before You Begin

Originally published 2021-10-19Robin’s commentary (illustrative figures)

Storage information

Bookmarks and reading positions are stored in this browser. Manage and back them up in My Reading.

Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2021-10-19. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin reminds readers that starting a business takes courage, and that they should think it through before setting out. You will need the courage to leave your job and invest your life savings; you may even fall into debt or face family discord. Would you have the courage to ask your parents to contribute their retirement savings? Could you persuade former classmates and friends to give up a steady salary and join you for just 20% to 30% of their current pay? (The 20% to 30% range is Robin’s illustration.)

Key points

Starting a business means leaving your job, investing your savings, and possibly taking on debt.
Think through whether you would ask family members to support you with their retirement savings.
Could you persuade partners to accept just 20% to 30% of their current pay? (An illustration.)

One clear path continues into the distance among several branching routes, suggesting choice and focus. — Entrepreneurship & strategyThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

Starting a business takes courage, and you need to “think it through” before setting out. You must summon the courage to leave your current job and invest your life savings. You may even end up deeply in debt, and some people face family discord. Would you have the courage to ask your parents to use their retirement savings to support your startup? Could you persuade former classmates and friends to give up a steady salary and join your venture, perhaps for only 20–30% of their current pay?

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

Reader comments

What did this article make you think about? Different perspectives and constructive criticism are welcome.

Comments are public immediately. Do not include personal contact details or external links. Automated checks block suspicious solicitation, prohibited transactions and spam; they can make mistakes.

Comments load when you reach this section.