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

Trendingnow

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

1

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

2

Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026

3

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
CommentaryEntrepreneurs

The Startup Myth Too Many People Fall for

By
Chris Boehner
Chris Boehner
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Boehner
Chris Boehner
and
Bethany Cianciolo
Bethany Cianciolo
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 10, 2016, 1:00 AM ET
492689153
Businessman running along sidewalk with oversized chequePhotograph by Getty Images/Cultura RM

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 “How do you come up with a new startup idea?” is written by Chris Boehner, founder of Western Natural Foods.

It can be intimidating for the first-time entrepreneur to decide on a business idea. You might be kicking around a few possibilities, but when you measure them against mega-successful startups, they lose their luster.

So how do you know when you have a great idea on your hands?

You don’t. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s a process.

Having a clear, perfect startup idea is a myth. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a founder with a successful company that turned out exactly as first conceived. That’s because it’s easy (and tempting) for founders to retroactively connect the dots.

You should think of your startup idea like a sculptor might select a block of marble from which to create a masterpiece.

To others it’s just a block of marble, but your job as a founder is to convince others what lies within. As Michelangelo said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.”

For my first company, the marble slab came in the form of a phone call from my alma mater wanting to verify the credentials of Chinese applicants. For my current business, the slab was the idea that a good-for-the-world Big Food company could have an impact on human health, local communities, and the environment.

See also: Doing This for an Hour Each Week Will Make Your Business More Successful

The next step is to present your rough-cut marble to potential cofounders, advisors, mentors, industry experts, and investors (don’t ask them sign a non-disclosure agreement—no one will talk to you and your idea isn’t all that great at this point anyway). Pitch them on what you see within and listen to their suggestions on what will and will not work.

This is the beginning of the sculpting process and when the block begins to take form. Provided you like the shape the idea is taking, keep going.

With my first company, we realized it was impossible to verify anything in China, but this led to the insight that we could add verified information to the application process.

With Western Natural Foods, I witnessed cut-throat Big Food companies acquiring healthy brands, compromising product quality, adding sugar, and suffocating missions and values. This inspired our business structure, which allows us to legally protect brands, products, consumers, employees, local communities, and producers.

No doubt you’ve read about the importance of resilience. Most people quit when other people start to criticize their ideas. It can be ugly in the beginning. Defend your idea, but listen to the criticisms. Write down hard questions and the biggest concerns. Revisit your pitch, think, and adjust based on input.

I was recently having lunch with a friend and he said, “Oh, I have this idea for a company, but if I do it, I want it to be the best and really big…I want it to be perfect.” I told him, “If you’re thinking that way, then you’re already screwed.”

 

In effect, my friend is wandering into a marble quarry and searching for a finished Michelangelo’s David. Ideas just don’t look like that. It’s the process that makes a great business idea.

So if you are reading this during your lunch break, wondering if your idea is a good one, there is really only one thing to do: Take action and don’t let perfection paralysis prevent you from starting on your idea.

In a few years, people like you will look at your masterpiece, retroactively connect the dots, and think you’re a genius. But now you know better.

Pick your slab and start chipping away.

Chris Boehner is the founder of Western Natural Foods, a company redefining the food industry by building the first branded Benefit Corporation. He spent the previous nine years in Beijing, China where he founded his first company, toured across China with his bluegrass band and cycled across both Asia and Africa. Chris speaks Mandarin Chinese and lives in San Francisco, CA.

About the Authors
By Chris Boehner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Bethany Cianciolo
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

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

tim
CommentaryAirline industry
Merlin CTO: autonomy can rebuild the foundation of aviation — and national security
By Tim BurnsJune 9, 2026
10 hours ago
dewar
CommentaryLeadership
I founded McKinsey’s CEO practice: Here’s why operational excellence is a liability right now
By Carolyn DewarJune 9, 2026
10 hours ago
250
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America turns 250. Its greatest innovation was never a product — it was a system that let anyone build one
By Keith KrachJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
retirement
CommentaryRetirement
Retiring at 62 costs the average American $250,000. Here’s the math (and the neuroscience) that explain why
By Jon SabesJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
da
CommentaryIPOs
The short seller’s argument nobody on the coming mega IPO roadshow wants you to make
By Bhaskar ChakravortiJune 7, 2026
3 days ago
bs
CommentaryCalifornia
I’ve sold property on California’s Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
23 hours ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
Economy
'The golden years are not golden': Boomers are hoarding most of America's wealth and power because they're terrified of outliving their money
By Nick LichtenbergJune 7, 2026
2 days ago
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
Economy
'We didn’t see this coming': Wall Street eats its forecasts as stocks sell off globally on fear of AI bubble ahead of SpaceX IPO
By Jim EdwardsJune 8, 2026
1 day 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.