When I began my entrepreneurship journey, I believed that achieving business success meant building a huge company like Amazon or Google. I felt I had to create something big, get lots of money, and make headlines to be recognized as successful. Many new entrepreneurs think this way, dreaming of the next big thing.

However, through my experiences, I learned that true impactful entrepreneurship goes beyond chasing numbers. It’s about solving problems, creating long-term value, and making a positive difference in the world.

I had those dreams too. I believed the only way to demonstrate I was a good business owner was to focus on three specific things:

• How big my company was
• How much money I could get from investors
• How many customers I could get

I believed success was about quickly growing my business, earning lots of money, and having many users for my product. If I didn’t succeed in that, I felt like I was failing.

As I went on my journey, I quickly learned I was wrong. Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about creating a big company or making tons of money. It’s not just about big numbers. It’s about solving real problems, aiding others, and making a difference in the world.

This blog explores the essence of entrepreneurship and what it truly means to be successful.

Seeing Success From a Different Angle

As I faced the challenges of running a business, I started to question what I first believed. I heard stories from clients, partners, and mentors about companies that grew quickly but failed just as fast. I saw businesses that got millions of dollars but crashed because they didn’t get enough customers. I noticed many companies that looked "successful" but left unhappy customers and exhausted employees behind.

I began to consider: What does success mean to me? Should we be satisfied with a company that seems successful, or should we aim for deeper purposes?

That’s when I realised that being an entrepreneur isn’t about how big your company is – it’s about how much you help others. It’s about solving real problems for people and creating something that lasts.

Focusing on Impact, Not Numbers

Once I realised this, my approach to running my business changed. Instead of just focusing on numbers, I started looking at how my company was helping people. I began to measure success by the happy feedback from customers whose lives were better because of our product or service.

I remember a moment when this new idea became clear to me. After we added a new feature, a customer told us how our platform helped them manage their healthcare data better and improved the care they provided to patients. That feedback meant more to me than any amount of money we could raise. It reminded me that our work was making a difference.

The Role of Long-Term Value Creation

As I kept going on this journey, I realised that lasting businesses are built for the long term, not just for quick growth. Real success comes from fixing important issues and creating products that benefit people, whether they are clients, customers, or team members.

I let go of my worries about my company’s worth and focused on what’s important: building good relationships with customers, earning their trust, and making a positive impact on their lives. This helped us connect better and improve our work.

Rather than asking, “How can we grow this year?” we changed our question to “How can we serve our customers better?” We aimed to improve our products and listened to customer needs instead of just trying to sell more.

Finding Fulfilment Beyond the Metrics

Reflecting on this change, I’m thankful. It has made my life and business better. By concentrating on helping others instead of just counting numbers, I feel good knowing our work has a real impact, even if it’s little.

I don’t measure success by how big our company is or how many clients we have anymore. Now, I feel happy knowing that we are helping people, step by step. The nice emails and stories from customers who’ve benefited from our work mean more to me than any money we raise or growth numbers.

So, what do you think about success in your business? Is it about the numbers or the impact you have on people's lives? For me, it’s clear now. Money and growth do matter, but they aren’t the most important things. What counts is the difference you create in the world – the problems you solve, the value you offer, and the lives you support.

Success isn’t about creating the next big company. It’s about making the world better for everyone.