What is entrepreneurship porn?
It is the sexy story of entrepreneur churned by media.
Fed by media and online coverage of an idealized lifestyle, this “entrepreneurship porn” presents an airbrushed reality in which all work is always meaningful and running your own business is a way to achieve better work/life harmony. – Morra Aarons-Mele
Example of entrepreneurship porn
Entrepreneur porn is a tongue-in-cheek term for essays like Ali Mese’s inspirational essay about entrepreneurship which went viral. They detail the hardships of living the startup life: the family and friends who don’t ‘get it’, the long hours, the intra-team squabbles, etc. But they almost always end on an inspirational high note. Mese’s piece, for example, ends his story with him sipping a Mojito at a beautiful beachside resort in Thailand:
Source: http://goo.gl/ExpWNm
Advantages
It is source of true inspiration.
Source : http://goo.gl/cuC3my
But seeking inspiration is just as important as seeking training and know-how.
While pieces that discuss the day-to-day challenges of building a startup and how to achieve practical, tangible goals are great, pieces that address the emotional costs of entrepreneurship can add value to readers as well.
So you have to be a bit crazy to be an entrepreneur. Or, more accurately, hypomanic – or borderline manic – which seems to be the prevailing trait amongst entrepreneurs.
I always ask people – Are you crazy or what? I believe crazy is always better !
Drawbacks
Entrepreneur porn is similarly unrealistic. Could you found a startup and end up on a beach in Thailand sipping a Mojito someday? Sure! And it’s good to be reminded of that every now and then. But is that what happens most of the time in real life? No. Most startups fail.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t do a startup, of course. But you should go in with your eyes open, and I think that means understanding that entrepreneur porn isn’t necessarily a reflection of the real entrepreneurial experience. It means understanding that doing a startup is usually a high-risk, high-reward proposition.