Entrepreneurship Will Break You, Unless You Break the Rules
You didn’t choose the easy path… nobody forced you into this. Yet here you are, building something from nothing, sometimes with no help, and for sure with no guarantees.
Entrepreneurship is hard. It’ll test everything you have—your patience, your vision, your sanity. And yet, you wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Why?
Because you’re not like everyone else… and don’t want to be… in fact, if you do want to be like everyone else, just go ahead and stop reading right now and unsubscribe.
Still reading? good… So, you’re probably not content with a 9-to-5, a predictable paycheck, or a safe little box. You thrive on ideas, or solving problems… on creation, on art… or even just the pursuit of something bigger.
Stability feels suffocating. And starting a business or project? That’s the ultimate playground, especially for us rebel souls with that entrepreneur spirit.
But here’s the problem. That same drive to create, to push boundaries, etc… it can also trap you.
It keeps you restless, overthinking, and trying to meet tons of demands… piles of rules and regulations, or “best practices”… and if you don’t learn to manage the chaos, it’ll burn you out before you ever see success.
How Do You Survive the Chaos?
By breaking the rules that don’t work for you. (sometimes even your own!)
Here’s a little phrase I came up with last year… and it rhymes, so it must be true, right?
Rules are for fools, guides are for the wise.
Wait… so… you mean… do illegal stuff?
Uhh… no, well, duh… I mean stop asking for permission… stop waiting for someone to tell you if it’s ok or not. I mean to do it, see what works, see what doesn’t, follow your feelings and intuitions… and stop worrying about following some rulebook.
Autonomy First
Build a foundation where you can depend on yourself, pivot fast, and avoid people with their own hidden (or open) agendas. Forget chasing trends, making big promises, taking on investors, or relying on third parties—control is everything.
Don’t try for perfect, and fail forward.
Waiting for perfection is a trap. Every delay is momentum lost, just start building. Stop wasting energy avoiding mistakes. The best founders aren’t flawless—they’re adaptable… some of the best idea’s I’ve ever had were ones I fell into by accident, and then had to learn to swim. Perfectionism will kill your ideas.
Find your people.
Building something great is a lonely path, but it doesn’t have to be. Trying to go it alone means carrying every weight, every decision, and every burden on your own shoulders. That’s a quick road to burnout. Having someone to build with doesn’t just keep you sane; they make your work better—keep you focused… Sometimes a partner is the thing you been missing and never knew it, but… a bad one can be the stuff of nightmares.
Make Space for the Unexpected
No matter how detailed your plans are, you’ll never account for everything. Startups are unpredictable by nature. If you try to control every detail, you’ll box yourself into mediocrity.
The best founders leave room for the unknown. They experiment wildly, adapt on the fly, and recognize that brilliance often comes from unexpected places. The idea that changes everything might not even be on your radar right now.
Rigid rules won’t get you there. You need the kind of flexibility that lets you rewrite the playbook when it’s not working, even if it’s your own.
Have some fun!
It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and forget why you started. Success can feel like a moving target, and when the chaos of building becomes overwhelming, it’s tempting to put happiness on hold for some distant future.
But starting a business isn’t just about the destination—it’s about the journey. Celebrate the wins, no matter how small. Find moments of joy in the process, even when it’s messy. Let yourself laugh, enjoy, and connect with the people around you.
This path you’ve chosen is hard, but it’s also full of life.
Rules Are For Fools
Building something new will break you, unless you learn to break the rules that hold you back, and find the ones that work for you... if you figure that out, you don’t just survive—you thrive.
So, let’s talk about it! The best ideas don’t come from echo chambers—they come from raw, unfiltered conversations.
We need to connect with people who challenge us, support us, and call us out when we’re stuck in our own head… and maybe the Rebel Speakeasy can be that place for you!
We meet every Wednesday in the Rebel Speakeasy live audio spaces on X.
Join us at the links below!
Hope to see you there!
-Rick & Ani
RebelSpeakeasy.com by
•Find us on X @NFTrebels & @unl0c7
