How to fight a control idol in building a venture
— by Leah Davidson
In venturing into entrepreneurship, it is easy to get sucked into the idol of control (“a desire to have everything go according to my plans”), what Tim Keller labels in Counterfeit Gods as one of the four root idols.
As entrepreneurs, the desire to be in control is often why we set out on this trajectory. We pitch to investors, customers, and the press that preparation/experience, a great team and idea, and our own skills and competence as a leader will differentiate our venture, only to then feel misled when funding rounds collapse, contracts fall through, and key employees or co-founders leave.
Here are some lessons learned from traveling to 20+ countries on the path to building an ed-tech venture:
1. Embrace the uncertainty as a chance to fully rely on God
Everyday life is uncertain, but often those uncertainties are hidden behind a seemingly stable job, a bank account and retirement plan that can weather tumultuous financial markets, and a resume with enough accolades and brand-names to presumably land high-paying jobs, even during global pandemics. Leaving friends, family, and income behind to pursue entrepreneurship abroad forced me to acknowledge that success, funding, and security are never guaranteed, but that no matter what happens, God will never forsake me.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
2. See every blessing as a gift
By giving up my own control over the ability to provide for myself, I saw God open up incredible doors, like a chance to live with a Chilean host family and build a relationship teaching English to their three-year-old daughter, which helped combat loneliness, and accelerator programs that came through with funding when we were struggling to pay our tech team’s monthly salaries. More importantly, God provided deeper spiritual blessings of peace, comfort, and joy in the midst of the struggle.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows
James 1:17
3. Know when to stop and how to let go
Perseverance in the face of adversity is admirable, especially when it comes to living for God, but too much resoluteness in a certain direction can blind you to what God is actually saying. When we faced rejection after rejection during the fundraising process, I needed to face the reality that maybe I would have to accept another job and give up the full-time pursuit of entrepreneurship.
In contemplating the options, I had to surrender my own desires and ask myself a few questions:
Am I unwilling to consider alternatives even when all the evidence points to the need for a pivot?
Would I hurt or risk endangering the people I love to achieve my goals?
Where is my pride and ego in my vision for the project’s success?
Would I still persevere if I received no financial benefit and no earthly recognition?
Am I falling into the sunk cost fallacy of believing that more perseverance will necessarily lead to greater rewards?
I ultimately realized that God may be leading me in new directions and I chose to continue pursuing grant opportunities, while searching for more of a home-base, where I could build church community.
Will you do whatever God asks of you, even if it means sacrificing your son (Abraham), losing your possessions (Job), dying (Stephen), and never reaching the Promised Land (Moses)? What does it mean to truly surrender? Be prayerful and allow God to open and close the right doors.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
4. Make sure to stay humble
Entrepreneurs are often trying to solve big problems, so it is easy to get caught up in wanting to be “the one” to make the change and forget that God is ultimately in control of restoring the world. Humility allows us to view our time and talents under a lens of stewardship and to allow God to mould us and use us as He wills, with the understanding that we are not guaranteed any earthly outcomes and may never see the fruits of our labor on this Earth.
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
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[ Photo by Bailey Heedick on Unsplash ]
Even though we all deal with craziness when we must, most of the time we easily settle into our current environment, whatever it may be.