“Do what you love, and the money will follow.”
I’m not sure if I entirely agree with this old adage.
After all, a lot of people try to do what they love, only to find that there’s no market for what they offer.
Every year, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and quirky coffee shops go out of business (despite the passion and high hopes of the founders), cupcake bakeries and scrapbooking stores and other once-trendy business ideas fall out of favor (despite the “love” that went into their creation).
So what’s the answer?
Maybe we shouldn’t think of it in terms of “love.”
The market doesn’t care what you “love.” The market cares about what you can deliver that provides a benefit. If you want to be successful, you need to be “other-focused.” Be humble. Be of service.
So instead of “Do what you love and the money will follow,” maybe we should say:
“Be of service, deliver value, and create something that meets a need for someone else. Then the money will follow.”
