Ignorance is risk

"Ignorance gives one a large range of probabilities."

                      George Eliot

"Nothing is worse than active ignorance."

                                             Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Never let your persistence and passion turn into stubbornness and ignorance."            

                                Anthony J. D'Angelo

To be an entrepreneur is, by definition, to risk.  Risk management is all about reducing uncertainty, somehow minimizing the number of possible outcomes.  There is no greater risk, therefore, than to take aggressive action in the face of serious uncertainty.

To translate that into the terms I commonly use in this blog - don't let your Moxie override your Mastery of Market and Magic.

Here's a simple test for the level of ignorance-risk inherent in your startup plan. 

• Are you entering a Market in which you have never done business?  Yes or No.

• Is your Magic (product or service) something truly new to the world?  Yes or No.

"Yes" answers suggest that your Mastery of the Market or the Magic are probably questionable.  Two "yes" answers suggests very high risk.  One "yes" suggests more moderate risk. 

Good news!  Ignorance can be corrected, starting with location and recruitment of Mentors who have deep personal knowledge of your Market and/or your Magic.

Comments

[Simon]

Part of combating ignorance in starting a new business is both knowing that there is a vast supply of resources and using them. To create exposure these days, you need to make use of social media and networking as well as you can. Sites like Facebook and AdWido are important to gain a competitive edge in this market. Making sure you know these things will definitely go a long way in fighting ignorance when starting a small business.