Can you execute on the brilliant business idea yourself? That does happen. I\u2019m aware of several ventures built by one very smart hard-working person, on her or his own. They use their own money and paid the providers they needed, to get going. If you can do that yourself, without help, then I applaud you. Go for it. Forget investors; just do it. You don\u2019t need them.<\/p>\n For the rest of us, your next step is to gather a team of people who have the skills and experience you need to get going. Look for people different from you who can do what you can\u2019t and who know what you don\u2019t. If you don\u2019t know anybody, or don\u2019t know the right people, that\u2019s a damn shame; but it\u2019s your problem to solve. If you can\u2019t solve it, then keep your day job. Other people have solved that problem millions of time.<\/p>\n If you can find suitable people, then you have to convince them to join you. If you can afford to pay for their services with your own money, then maybe you don\u2019t have to convince them of the idea. Just pay them. This puts you in the category of the smart person on your own. Just do it. You\u2019re special, the sole entrepreneur with a great idea and the means to execute. Skip to the next section.<\/p>\n However, if you can\u2019t afford to pay people, then you need to convince them to join you as co-founders and work on this idea for free. Don\u2019t feel bad about that; that\u2019s what most successful entrepreneurs had to do. And if you can\u2019t convince the right people to join you, then get a clue. Your idea was one of the many ideas that seem brilliant but won\u2019t work<\/a>. Keep your day job. Revise your plan. Focus on a subset you can do yourself. Or give up.<\/p>\n Get your people together and revise that early plan. Bring it up to date with what you\u2019ve learned while gathering the team, and what your team members were able to contribute to the plan. Remember that plans are made to be reviewed and revised and kept live and up to date.<\/p>\n You have a team and you have a plan. Execute on it. Follow your plan. Go as far as your team can take you towards early website, product prototype, discussions with potential buyers or distributors, so-called minimum viable product<\/a>. Maybe you go on Kickstarter or one of the other sites for pre-launch selling. Get traction. Prove to yourself and future investors that you idea will work. You\u2019ll have to know what that means in your specific case. It\u2019s different for every business.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t go for investment unless you really need it. Never bring in investors unless you need them to address an huge opportunity that makes sharing your business ownership with outside investors good for you and them. Read the startup sweet spot<\/a>.<\/p>\n Furthermore, don\u2019t go for investment if you\u2019re not going to get it. Only a few businesses are good investments. Read this self assessment will you get angel investment<\/a>, 10 things angel investors ask about your plan<\/a>. And be aware that the advice in those two posts applies to the U.S. market only. The realities of angel investment are vastly different in other markets.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/timsstuff.s3.amazonaws.com\/content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/cash_pile_iStock_000003690791XSmall-300x199.jpg\")
So you have a brilliant business idea that will be very successful. My congratulations to you. Now read all ideas are brilliant<\/a> and nobody is going to pay you for your ideas<\/a>. Are you still sure? All right then, let\u2019s continue. And \u2013 this is important \u2013 do not even think about getting investors yet. Do a lean business plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n1. Gather a team<\/h2>\n
If you can afford to pay them\u2026<\/h2>\n
2. Execute. Get traction. Prove it.<\/h2>\n
3. Seek investment if and only if\u2026<\/h2>\n