The Business You Build Has to Fit the Life You Want

It’s easy to fall in love with a business from the outside.

The revenue.

The growth.

The possibilities.

But there’s another question I’ve learned to ask:

What does this business require my life to look like if it succeeds?

Every business creates a lifestyle.

Some require employees and all the responsibility that comes with them.

Some require evenings and weekends.

Some require constant selling, travel or being available when customers need you.

Others tie you to a particular place, require significant financial risk or simply occupy more mental space than you expected.

None of those things necessarily make it a bad business.

But they might make it a bad business for you.

I think we tend to evaluate opportunities based on whether they can work.

Is there demand?

Can it make money?

Can it grow?

Those questions matter.

But so do some others.

How do I want to spend my days?

How much responsibility do I want?

How important is flexibility?

Do I want to manage people?

Do I want something I can leave behind at the end of the day?

What am I willing to give up for this?

I've been involved in enough businesses over the years to know that success can create its own set of problems.

More customers can mean more employees.

More employees can mean more management.

More growth can mean more capital, more complexity and more of your attention.

You can build a successful business and eventually discover you've built yourself a job you don't particularly want.

That’s why I think lifestyle belongs in the conversation from the beginning.

Not as an afterthought.

As part of the business model.

Maybe you want to build something big.

Maybe you want a small business with a handful of great customers.

Maybe you want to work remotely, stay independent or have enough flexibility to disappear for a few weeks.

There isn't one right answer.

But there is probably an answer that's right for you.

A business doesn't just generate income.

It creates a life around it.

It’s worth making sure you want that life.