Entrepreneurial Doubt

During his talk on fear, Rohan Gunatillake explores the motivational factors associated with the term ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out). As an entrepreneur himself, Gunatillake knows what it feels like to be afraid. He says that there are four main types of fear. The first, is thinking that other people are going to do or create the same things you can. To that Gunatillake asks, why not make your product, service or idea the best? The proceeding fears include the fear of burning out, not making an impact and overall failure.

This talk explores how Gunatillake started his own company and how he experienced firsthand the true feelings of fear, which translated into motivation. He shares anecdotes that encourage people to strive for success, but not to let the work one creates be their defining factor. One major point from this talk is that being scared can consume the mind and ultimately destroy any positive outcomes.

Gunatillake’s talk on fear addresses issues that are related to entrepreneurship based on personal experiences of starting a company. However, his takeaways can also resonate in various other personal and professional settings as well.