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  • Here’s What Being an Entrepreneur Is Really Like — From Someone Who Did It

    Here’s What Being an Entrepreneur Is Really Like — From Someone Who Did It


    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Becoming an entrepreneur is one of the most exciting decisions you can make. But is it hard? Well, yes. It’s not a stroll in the park, but it’s also not impossible and can be incredibly amazing. Starting your own business is rewarding, challenging and everything in between. Here’s the honest scoop on what it’s like, from someone who’s been there over and over again.

    1. You’ll wear many hats

    When you’re just starting out and unless you have a huge budget, you are the CEO, the marketing team, the accountant and the janitor. Balancing all these responsibilities can be overwhelming, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to learn. It forces you out of your comfort zone and gives you the chance to truly understand the inner workings of a business. Look at it as an accelerated MBA, except the stakes are higher (and there’s no graduation ceremony).

    2. Time management will be your new best friend

    When you’re working for yourself, the lines between work and personal life blur, big time. Suddenly, you’re answering emails at 10 PM and brainstorming ideas while cooking dinner. The key is to prioritize and set boundaries. Learn to schedule your day like your life depends on it. Trust me, a little structure goes a long way in keeping the chaos manageable. I finally have learned how to manage my time, especially if you have multiple businesses. This is crucial to become successful.

    3. You’ll face rejection

    Here’s the thing about entrepreneurship — not everyone is going to believe in your vision. Investors may say no. Customers might not immediately flock to your product. This stings, but it’s also a chance to develop some thick skin. Each no you hear is one step closer to a yes. Use rejection as fuel to refine your offering and improve your pitch.

    Related: You Will Get Rejected — How You Handle It Will Make You Successful. Here Are 3 Ways to Turn It Into Power.

    4. Your passion will be tested

    Loving what you do is important, but passion is not the whole story. There will be moments when the going gets tough and motivation wanes. What keeps most entrepreneurs moving is their why — the deeper reason they started their business. Stay connected to that purpose, and you’ll push through even the toughest days.

    5. You’ll have to network (a lot)

    Networking is crucial to success in any industry, but it’s especially important for entrepreneurs. Knowing the right people can open doors and provide valuable insights and advice. Attend networking events, join online communities and don’t be afraid to reach out to successful business owners for mentorship. Building a strong network can make all the difference in your entrepreneurial journey.

    6. Failure is part of the process

    As an entrepreneur, you will inevitably experience failure. But here’s the thing — it’s not the end of the world. In fact, it’s often just a stepping stone on the path to success. Embrace failure as an opportunity to learn.

    7. Money management is crucial

    Starting a business often means living on a tight budget. Maybe you’ll have to skip some dinners out or hold off on that big vacation — and that’s fine. Being mindful of where every dollar goes is essential, especially in the early stages. If you can master your finances now, you’re setting the stage for long-term success.

    8. Success doesn’t happen overnight

    Don’t believe the hype of overnight success. Those stories usually leave out years of hard work, failures and pivots. Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate the small wins along the way, because they’re what keep you going. Each step forward is progress, even if it’s not as glamorous as viral internet fame.

    9. It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love

    Here’s the truth. Starting your own business is hard. It’s exhausting. Sometimes, it’s lonely. But it’s also thrilling. Few things compare to the sense of accomplishment you feel when you see your idea come to life and know you’re building something that’s entirely your own. The hard work and sacrifices will be worth it when you’re doing what you love every day. So keep pushing, stay focused and never lose sight of why you started this journey in the first place. Your passion will see you through the toughest of times and lead you to success. Let rejection only fuel your determination to refine your offering and improve your pitch. The road to success is not easy, but it’s worth it in the end.

    10. You must keep learning and evolving to succeed

    Finally, remember that starting a business is an ongoing process. You’ll never stop learning and growing as an entrepreneur. Stay open to new ideas and opportunities, continuously seek out knowledge and resources to improve your skills, and be willing to adapt and evolve with the ever-changing market and industry. Embracing growth and constantly striving for improvement will help you stay ahead of the game and ensure long-term success for your business.

    Related: 10 Ways Continuous Learning Can Take You From a Good Leader to a Great One

    Final thoughts

    I have even thought about giving up at times, but I somehow still keep going, and I am so happy that I’ve stuck with it. If you’re up for the challenge, becoming an entrepreneur can be the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do. It’s not always easy, but the sense of accomplishment, independence and possibility makes it worthwhile. Are you ready to take the leap? Because, trust me, there’s nothing quite like it.



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  • I asked ChatGPT to turn me into a Muppet, and it did not disappoint

    I asked ChatGPT to turn me into a Muppet, and it did not disappoint


    Could ChatGPT turn me into a Muppet?

    My friend hopped on the Studio Ghibli bandwagon last week, changing his WhatsApp profile picture to his anime likeness. I guess he wants his contacts to think that he’s being creative, but I’m convinced it’s because it’s a more flattering depiction of him. Still, I’ve been as impressed as everyone else with this latest ChatGPT evolution and wanted to see if it could turn me into a Muppet. It seemed a fun idea, and unlike my friend, no one can accuse me of using a Muppet likeness to make myself look more appealing.

    I tried it out, and once I saw the results, I knew I had to share them here.

    Why a Muppet?

    I can’t pretend it’s my lifelong dream to be immortalized as a Muppet — I would have preferred to make a name playing in the FIFA World Cup final. That said, I love the Muppets as much as the next millennial. They were a mainstay of my childhood, and the holidays aren’t complete without an annual viewing of A Muppet’s Christmas Carol.

    But I was more curious than anything. The recent viral craze of turning every photo and meme into a Studio Ghibli-style anime cartoon was triggered by Sam Altman’s announcement of the new GPT-4o-powered image generation tool. As much as I enjoyed the results, they didn’t seem to be too much of a challenge for the AI. It was creating a fairly true-to-life but simpler version of the image.

    A Muppet seems to me that it would be a better test for the LLM. Not only are Muppets real (by which I mean they have a physical presence in the real world —  I’m not five years old,) but they’re also much more open to interpretation. They have exaggerated features, come in different colors, and their physical characteristics can be defined by things like their personalities or jobs. There’s definitely more scope for interpretation than an anime copy.

    Paint me like one of your French Muppets

    I gave the above picture of me holding a cute bird (I’m the one on the left before you ask) to ChatGPT Plus with the simple prompt of “Make me a Muppet.” Sure enough, the image in the center is what it spat out after some processing time, and it’s Muppet Matt.

    I was impressed. I mean, I’m quite an indistinct Muppet, but then I’m a fairly indistinct guy in terms of features, so I don’t know why I would expect anything else.

    I’m quite an indistinct Muppet.

    You will have noticed that it doesn’t look quite right. In particular, the hand looks too human, as Muppets tend to only have four fingers on each hand. Not only does Muppet Matt have five, but he also has fingernails. Perhaps disturbed, the bird has also switched direction. Still, not bad for a first run.

    I gave ChatGPT a chance to rectify this with the prompt, “Can you make the hands look more like Muppet hands?”

    This was a bit of an error on my part. I shouldn’t have pluralized because only one of my hands is visible in the original image. ChatGPT took this to mean both should be visible and gave me a new pose, as shown in the image on the right above. It was closer this time, though. The bird-holding hand still has too many fingers, but they look more like Muppet fingers, and the other now-visible hand only has four.

    Is ChatGPT consistent in Muppet-making?

    My next question was a philosophical one. I might now have a Muppet likeness, but is that the definitive Matt Muppet? Are my characteristics such that whatever image I use, will I always be that particular character? Or, are Muppet alter egos like snowflakes, and no two creations are alike?

    To find out, I repeated the request for two more images. The one above is me on a recent trip to New York, and it would let me see how ChatGPT did in making a Muppet from a selfie. The one below is me driving, with the AI required to produce a Muppet in profile and with hands in use.

    It’s certainly consistent. Muppet Matt’s features don’t seem to change much, which includes the human-esque fingers. A hint of a smile was detected in the original NYC picture, leading to a broad smile on my puppet counterpart, but the driving focus was carried over to the Muppet in the below example. If you look closely, you might also observe that Muppet Matt drives a lot slower than I do.

    What if ChatGPT knew more about me?

    In keeping with Jim Henson’s vision, I wondered if ChatGPT would adjust my Muppet to reflect aspects of my character. When you think of classic Muppets like Oscar the Grouch or Animal, you start to get a feel for their personality just by looking at them. I was curious if ChatGPT would attempt to reflect anything about me in my features or attire.

    To do this, I fed the AI an image of me in front of a blank background. I first asked it to make me into a Muppet in the same way as the previous requests, and the center image below came out as expected. I then gave it the prompt, “How might you adjust the image if the Muppet was a British writer with a happy demeanor?”

    ChatGPT didn’t take the bait. I wondered if it might adjust my puppet with some stereotypes, such as a Union Jack shirt for a Brit or some glasses to signify a writer. Instead, the right image shows it stayed true to Muppet Matt’s features but reflected his happy demeanor with a big grin.

    I could explore these puppetish possibilities all day, but it’s a bit of a time-sink. Besides, I might better spend my time projecting myself into other childhood TV favorites. I bet I’d look pretty cool as a Transformer or a Ninja Turtle.

    Have you been as impressed as I have with the new GPT-4o image generator? Drop a vote in the poll below, and feel free to let us know about your own experience in the comments.

    Have you tried the new ChatGPT image generation tool?

    67 votes



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