INTJ and Entrepreneurship
Am I out of my Comfort Zone?
Being an entrepreneur is a natural career choice for the INTJ personality type because they are very independent, strategic thinkers who are able to see the big picture of any given situation.
They are not afraid to take risks and they thrive on analyzing the past in order to improve upon the future. They also enjoy being in control and doing things their own way, which means that they would rather create their own business than work for someone else.
Are you an INTJ?
Introverted — Intuitive — Thinking — Judgemental
As an INTJ, you are very independent, and you like to be on your own. You are not interested in people who cannot think for themselves or who do not have their own strong opinions.
You need to be with people who challenge you and make you feel intellectually stimulated. Relationships that lack that kind of excitement are not good for you. You need to spend time with people who share your interests and inspire you in some way.
Being with people who cannot think for themselves is painful for you because it makes you feel like your energy is being drained away from you.
You are a deep person underneath it all, but unlike Feeling types, your emotions are private. You do not want to express your feelings openly because it is not practical and can open yourself up to manipulation or exploitation by others.
This is why the ENFJ type seems more emotional than the INTJ type — they wear their heart on their sleeves — but this does not mean that INTJs do not have feelings; rather, they suppress them in order to focus on what is logical and what makes sense in the long-term.
You prefer quality over quantity when it comes to relationships, but this doesn’t mean that all of your relationships have to be long-term ones; some can be short-term if they are intense and meaningful while they last.
Your ideal relationship would be with someone who challenges you intellectually, someone who stimulates your mind while also caring about how you feel emotionally and supporting you through life’s ups and downs. Your partner would also need to respect your independence while also wanting a serious commitment from you in return (which means that casual dating probably isn’t good enough for an INTP).
The ideal relationship would allow both partners enough space for personal growth without feeling like one person was smothering the other or being held back by the other.
You need plenty of alone time as well as time spent with others in order to stay centered and balanced emotionally (which is why many INTJs end up becoming loners at some point in their lives).
However, even though being alone does refresh and reenergize the INTJ personality type, it doesn’t mean that introverted intuitive types don’t enjoy spending time around other people once in a while; it simply means that there needs to be balance between being around others vs being alone so that the INTJ can recharge their batteries when necessary without feeling restless or agitated (which is why many introverted intuitive types become workaholics).
Why I became an Entrepreneur
I became an entrepreneur because I wanted to be in control of my own life and to be able to do things the way that I saw fit, without having to follow someone else’s rules or expectations.
It has been a very rewarding experience so far, and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes me in the future.
I also enjoy being my own boss and using my creativity and strategic mind in order to come up with new ways of doing things that are more efficient, effective, and enjoyable for everyone involved.
There is no limit to the amount of success that you can experience as an entrepreneur if you are willing to work hard for it.
The biggest challenge that I have faced as an entrepreneur has been working from home — which means that I am always around my family and work is never far away from life.
It takes discipline, focus, and a clear head in order to balance all of these aspects of life well if you want your business venture to succeed.
This is why many entrepreneurs end up working long hours when they first start their business — they are trying their best not to let their personal life impact their professional one too much (but eventually most people realize that it is impossible to completely separate the two).
You also need a support system around you, whether it is your spouse or friends who help you stay on top of things at home while you are focusing on your business (plus occasionally giving you advice about how best to manage certain situations).
It can be very lonely when you work at home by yourself all day long since there is no one else around who understands what it’s like running a business like this; however, having this kind of freedom means that you get the chance do what you want when you want — even if others see “laziness” or “lack of drive” behind your actions.
In reality, most entrepreneurs work very hard; it just looks different than someone who has a traditional job (which is why many people think that they don’t know how lucky they are).
But if we didn’t enjoy doing what we were doing then we would have never started our businesses in the first place!
Also, since I am responsible for everything in my business there is no one else who will take over my responsibilities when I am sick or burnt out (this comes with the territory though; if you don’t like responsibility then becoming an entrepreneur is probably not a good fit).
However, there are plenty of other challenges to being a business owner, but they are all worth it in the end!
How I handle Challenges
I handle challenges by being persistent, staying focused on the task at hand, and knowing that even when things seem hopeless I will eventually get through them.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting through one day at a time, so I do my best to focus on what is right in front of me and not worry about anything else.
One of my biggest challenges has been dealing with negativity around me — whether this is from close friends or family members who seem to be against my decision to become an entrepreneur or from people who don’t understand why I work from home (or why I don’t want to have the same 9–5 job that everyone else has).
This can be frustrating for many INTJs because they tend to prefer quality over quantity when it comes to relationships and they don’t want to spend time with people who do not share their ideals and goals for the future.
As an entrepreneur your ideals are constantly changing and evolving as you learn more about yourself and your business, so you need people in your life who are willing to accept you for who you are right now vs judging you based on where you were in the past or where others think you should be going down the road.
Most INTJs do not like feeling trapped by society’s expectations; instead they prefer finding their own way and being able to live life freely without having other people watching over their shoulders.
This kind of freedom can be scary sometimes because there is no one there to help pick up the pieces if something goes wrong; however, this is also what makes entrepreneurship such an exciting challenge for many intuitive types — it allows them the freedom of thought that feels like heaven after spending years caged up in a traditional work environment (which takes so much energy out of people).
This freedom also allows them the opportunity to use their minds creatively while also doing something productive with their lives. For example, most entrepreneurs started their business because they saw a problem in society that needed solving; otherwise, they would have just continued working for someone else instead of risking everything by going into business for themselves!
This means that entrepreneurs remain passionate about what they do even after years of running their own businesses because every day brings new challenges and opportunities which inspire them to continue moving forward.
How I Handle Failure
As an entrepreneur failure is something that you have to learn to accept and manage effectively.
When we fail we often feel like we are letting everyone down; however, this is not true since there are many other people who have failed before us and succeeded after.
We also tend to blame ourselves for everything that goes wrong around us which means that we feel like failures every time something goes wrong in our business (even though it could be completely outside of our control).
If you are going to run your own business then you need to learn how to take responsibility for your actions (both good and bad), but also how to let go of the things that are out of your control.
This will enable you to move forward without feeling stuck or defeated by the past and instead focus on creating a bright future for yourself.
I handle failure by using a combination of positive thinking, meditation / reflection, brainstorming, goal-setting and occasionally reaching out for help from someone who has been through similar experiences in the past (or asking them how they would handle certain problems — this can be very helpful).
Most entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes (even though it may not seem like it at the time) but in order for that learning process happen they need time before jumping back into their business again.
So if you fail know that most entrepreneurs have failed at some point as well — don’t let this hold you back from pursuing your dreams.
How I Deal with Stress
I deal with stress by taking time to myself to recharge my batteries. There are times when I need to take a break from my business so that I can spend more time with my family and friends — this is important because I don’t want anyone to feel like they are less important than my business.
If you start feeling this way then it’s a sign that you need to take more time off, so that you can get back your passion for running your business and feeling good about what you do.
If you fail to protect your personal life then it will eventually take a toll on your professional one since nothing will seem worth doing anymore (and trust me, this is the last thing that you want)!
Many INTJs find hobbies such as writing, photography or painting very helpful in terms of relieving stress; however, there are also many entrepreneurs who don’t like these kinds of activities and prefer something else (such as playing sports or working out).
However, the most important thing is finding something that works for you. For example, if you go running every day and this helps relieve stress then keep doing it; likewise if meditation helps bring some peace into your life then keep doing that too! The key here is finding the best way for you to keep calm, focused and happy!
This is how I handle stress as an entrepreneur; however, each person will have their own ideal ways of dealing with their emotions in order to stay calm and productive throughout the day.
Sometimes we have too much work on our plate so it makes sense to hire someone else to help us out — but there are also times when we just need some time alone or with loved ones so we can recharge our batteries (this is hard when everyone around us expects us to work all the time).
The key here is finding the right balance between being productive and caring for yourself. It’s important not burn out because if we do then we become useless for everyone around us — which means that our business suffers as well! So whatever you decide to do make sure it works well for you.
Remember, no one can be productive all the time, even INTJs, and we all need some time to ourselves so that we can come back to our work with more energy and ideas.
The Answer: With the right support environment, the right motivations and the right strategies to manage your mental health, an INTJ can be within their comfort zone, while being an Entrepreneur.
About the Author
I am the Founder of Cudy Technologies (www.cudy.co), a full-stack EdTech startup helping teachers and students teach and learn better. I am also a mentor and angel investor in other Startups of my other interests (Proptech, Fintech, HRtech, Ride-hailing, C2C marketplaces and SaaS). You can also find me on Cudy for early-stage Startup Founder mentorship and advice.
You can connect with me on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlhk) and let me know that you are a reader of my Medium posts in your invitation message.
