Beware of the Grass-Is-Always-Greener Mindset
Like a mirage in a desert, the grass-is-always-greener mindset is unfulfilling. It is also draining to other people that surround those with the mindset. Here are some examples:
- The team member that is never happy with your startup’s progress and always saying, “We should be more like XYZ company.”
- The new hire that joins and jumps ship less than a year later
- Those that get starry-eyed reading TechCrunch about living in Silicon Valley (read: Startups for Grownups)
- Those that can’t focus on the tasks at hand, and always want to be talking about what to do next
- Sales people that complain about inadequate product development
- Engineers that complain about pushy business people
- Wantrapreneurs who constantly dream of starting a business without pulling the trigger
In thinking about the grass-is-always-greener mindset, I realized that some might claim entrepreneurship is all about finding greener grass. While that is true for the original launch of a new startup, it is not true of startup founders. In fact, successful startup founders often stick with their companies for 5-10 years or more. That is the opposite of grass-is-always-greener. That is all about fortitude.
The grass is rarely, if ever, actually greener once you learn all the details about what’s on the other side of the hill.
What are your thoughts on the grass-is-always-greener mindset?