• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

1

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

2

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

3

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Commentary

Striving for Perfection Can Ruin Your Chances at Success

By
Diana Murakhovskaya
Diana Murakhovskaya
,
Irene Ryabaya
Irene Ryabaya
, and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Diana Murakhovskaya
Diana Murakhovskaya
,
Irene Ryabaya
Irene Ryabaya
, and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 4, 2016, 8:30 PM ET
Tax Day Freebies for 2018
Tax Day Freebies for 2018Photograph by Getty Images/Cultura RM
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Entrepreneur Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in America’s startup scene contribute answers to timely questions about entrepreneurship and careers. Today’s answer to the question “What’s something you wish you knew before starting your business?” is written by Diana Murakhovskaya and Irene Ryabaya, cofounders of Monarq.

Coming from the cutthroat world of finance and making the leap to the startup world was initially a scary proposition for us. Our favorite quote since starting Monarq, our business focused on connecting women through technology, is from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you.”

Building a company from nothing is an exceedingly difficult thing to do. You will be working yourself to the bone without anyone telling you that you must do so, meaning you need to be insanely driven and passionate about what you’re building. In any job where you have a boss and structure, there is someone to drive you and tell you what the next steps and measures of success are. Making the leap and leaving that safety net can be terrifying, leaving many people to wait for the “perfect” idea or the “perfect” partner to come along.

But when we committed to building connections for women with Monarq, we received an amazing outpouring of support from a lot of great people. We realized that when you start a business, two things often happen: You start to see more holes in the world and come up with dozens of ideas for other businesses, and you’re likely to turn these into side businesses that often become even bigger and more successful than the initial thing you set out to do. That commitment to your initial mission can create opportunities for connections and serendipity that take you to the next level.

See also: The Painful Truth About Starting a Business

While building your business, you’ll have to fill an insane variety of roles. Until you’re in the thick of it, it can be difficult to understand the value and depth of those roles in the success of your company. There is no way you can learn this until you get started. One stark example for us was the value of design. We admit now that we took user experience design for granted because of our analytical background and thought that building a great app was all about the actual app development. We quickly learned that there are many aspects to design—from visual to digital to user experience—and that all of them are integral to the long-term success of any business. You have to design everything, from all of your email communications to ads to event banners, as well as your website and app.

A key component to success is to “know enough to be dangerous” about all aspects of your business, be able to have meaningful conversations, and make quick decisions with everyone who works for you. That being said, you shouldn’t always try to get things perfect or under-appreciate the value of a good specialist.

So don’t wait for perfection. Commit and the world will rise up to support you.

 

Read all responses to the Entrepreneur Insider question: What’s something you wish you knew before starting your business?

This Should Be Your No. 1 Focus When Starting a Business by Christy Johnson, founder of Artemis connection.

The Easy Way to Stop Wasting so Much Time by Greg Sewitz, cofounder of Exo.

The Real Reason so Many Businesses Fail by Catherine Bell, cofounder of BluEra.

Here’s How to Know Your Business Is Headed for Disaster by Andrew Ackerman, managing director of Dreamit New York.

Here’s Why You’re so Discouraged With Your Career bySimon Berg, CEO of Ceros.

Doing This for an Hour Each Day Can Make You More Successful by Dennis O’Donnell, cofounder ofPAW5andClear-Coat.

Why This Entrepreneur Doesn’t Regret Leaving His Successful Business by Chris Boehner, founder and CEO of Western Natural Foods.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do Before Starting a Business by Josh Reeves, cofounder and CEO of Gusto.

The Important Business Lesson Too Many Leaders Ignore by Aidan Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Reincubate.

What Google and Richard Branson Can Teach Us About Success by Alexander Goldstein, founder and CEO of Eligo Energy.

Here’s Why You Should Start Working Less by Erik Severinghaus, founder and CEO of SimpleRelevance.

The Dangerous Mistake Too Many Leaders Make by Fayez Mohamood, cofounder and CEO of Bluecore.

The Biggest Challenge Every Entrepreneur Faces by Jeff Ruby, founder and CEO of Newtopia.

Here’s What Happens When Your Company Only Focuses on Data by Allison Berliner, founder and CEO of Cataluv.

What Every Entrepreneur Should Be More Prepared for by Feris Rifai, cofounder and CEO of Bay Dynamics.

Why Virtual Offices Don’t Work by William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group.

The One Quality That Defines a Great Entrepreneur by Anthony Katz, founder of Hyperice.

What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Apple by Michael Maven, founder of Carter & Kingsley.

 

About the Authors
By Diana Murakhovskaya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Irene Ryabaya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

katie
CommentaryData centers
Katie McGinty: The energy economy’s biggest waste problem is already inside the system
By Kathleen “Katie” McGintyJuly 6, 2026
18 minutes ago
cc
CommentaryEducation
Former Trump official: Washington finally let Pell Grants pay for welding school, then buried the idea in 85 pages of red tape
By Caroline CasagrandeJuly 6, 2026
2 hours ago
k
CommentaryBox office
How Hollywood’s youngest filmmakers are exposing Gen Z’s real problem with AI
By Reid LitmanJuly 5, 2026
23 hours ago
k
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
Media leadership unity in defying Trump’s assault on free speech: standing tall against historic comparisons
By Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Jeff Bewkes, Kay Koplovitz, Tom Glocer and Marvin KalbJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
ds
CommentarySoftware
I argued with the father of open source for 2 years. Now the AI fight is the same — only bigger
By David SiegelJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
ashok
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
The greatest startup in history: What we can learn from America’s founders at today’s AI frontier
By Ashok N. SrivastavaJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
21 hours ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
4 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
15 hours ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg takes business calls on a jet ski wearing his $800 Meta glasses—and insists 'the other person could not tell'
By Sydney LakeJuly 5, 2026
23 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.