0070 – How to Survive Dating an Entrepreneur

 

What happens when you date an entrepreneur? Is it different than dating a ‘normal’ person.

Teaser Bullets

by the end of this episode you’ll learn:

• Is dating an entrepreneur a bad idea?
• Why dating is hard for entrepreneurs
• Things to know when dating an entrepreneur
• What an entrepreneur needs to do for their partner
• Should entrepreneurs date other entrepreneurs?
• What their partner needs to do for an entrepreneur

Describe the problem

Their ambition turned you on from day one. They really believe that they can change the world, and they convinced you to ride the entrepreneurship train. While being a business mogul looks awesome from the outside, there are sacrifices that threaten to kill even the best of relationships in pursuit of that elusive dream of “success”. Can you successfully tame the ambition monster hiding inside the one you love long enough to get them to stop emailing their staff on your anniversary…or have you lost the battle before it even starts? We’ll find out for sure, after this break.

Segment #1

• Is dating an entrepreneur a bad idea?
  • YourStory.com | 10 Reasons Why Dating an Entrepreneur is a Bad Idea!
    • Time, Time, Time: A day has 24 hours and they will work for 25 hours if it’s possible. They will never have time for things like family gatherings, birthday parties and stuff. They will ALWAYS chicken out giving stupid reasons.
    • He finds Business Opportunity in everything: Take a cab with him and he will talk about Startups related to Cab services, show him a pet, he will talk about Pet E-commerce, Ping him on Facebook and he will start talking about how Facebook can be monetized and Facebook Campaigns. Take him to a relatives house and he will evaluate the value of their property. Eat snacks and he will find a business idea related to snacks. His mind is full of ideas, he got a prize for making Electricity out of Regular Garbage.  I sometimes miss being normal and talking about things without bringing business in between.
• Why dating is hard for entrepreneurs
  • The Kismetic Strategist |
    • If you co-founded a startup, your future girlfriends will never understand the intimacy you have with your co-founders, as you will behave somewhat like a married father looking for a girlfriend on this side, but your girlfriend will always pine to have your full attention and commitment.
• Things to know when dating an entrepreneur
  • Everywhereist.com |
    • There would be times that I wouldn’t be able to help – I would feel powerless. There would be – and still are – things that I can’t fix. So instead, I listen. And offer stupid suggestions. Not because they’ll help, but so he knows I care. And then I make him brownies, and when I do, I’m careful not to wash the batter out of the bowl until he’s done with it.
    • I’d need to find an equivalent passion – For a while, it was my job. But after getting laid-off, I realized I needed to be as excited about something as Rand was about his work. So I started blogging. I did my own thing. And, as I stayed up late, working on a post that I couldn’t ignore until it was done, I understood. This is what drives him. It’s a kind of wonderful madness.

Segment #2

• What an entrepreneur needs to do for their partner
  • YourStory |
    • Earthbound humans have a non-work related life – While this may come as a big surprise to you (it did to me), this is something we have to learn to deal with. Apparently, they like to ‘hang out’ with other earthbound humans, talking about other earthbound humans whom they might or might not even know. My research of primate social interactions has shown that this mechanism of interaction has evolved over millennia, as a means for these humans to gain social validation and also feel good.
• Should entrepreneurs date other entrepreneurs?
  • YFS Entrepreneur |
    • No. There may be lots of competition regarding who is doing better – “As an entrepreneur, I believe in a ‘balanced’ life and to make your startup work, your life has to be somewhat imbalanced. Both [entrepreneurs] are trying to achieve big dreams. Both are alphas, [so] there may be lots of competition regarding who is doing better, or some insecurity complex (if one makes more than the other). While both people understand each other, they are imbalancing their lives typically with work [being more important than the] relationship. If one [person] is an entrepreneur and the other is not, it is easier to balance since the entrepreneur can take some time off to balance with the non-entrepreneur.”
    • – Albert Ko, Co-founder at DealGuppy.com
• What their partner needs to do for an entrepreneur
  • Dating and Mating in America |
    • Are you optimistic, positive and generally not prone to worry? Bingo. You’re the entrepreneur’s version of a rock star.
    • Are you risk adverse? Well, you’re going to either have to get over it or learn how to support someone who lives and breathes risk. After all, its part of their genius and if an entrepreneur was afraid to take risk, they wouldn’t be able to start and grow a successful business. Being more zen about the ups and downs of life will help you more than just about anything in living with an entrepreneur.

 

Final Thoughts:

• Elijah’s Thoughts
• Sarah’s Thoughts

In Closing

If you have a question, comment, or funny story about [INSERT SHOW TOPIC] you can send us an email at elijah@relationspodcast.com. You can also follow us on Twitter at “Haverelations”, find us on facebook at facebook.com/haverelations.

I’m @elijahryoung on Twitter, my amazing co-host (and author of “How to be Dumped: The definitive Breakup Guide” is @sarahJStorer on Twitter and this show’s notes and soon, it’s transcription, will be at our home base, relationspodcast.com/[ShowNumber], and don’t forget to subscribe to the Get the Gal, or Get the Guy mini course in the sidebar!

Now go forth and continue to relate better to one another. We’ll talk soon.

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