What keeps something alive?
As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, a question pops into my heart.
At first, it didn’t seem like something I should pay much attention to. I mean, the program is an international campaign on the health of mothers and children.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realised it asks a question every founder has to answer.
What keeps something alive?
A baby doesn’t become stronger because it had a good delivery. It grows because someone keeps nourishing it. Every single day.
Long after the excitement of birth is over. The mother needs to keep breastfeeding the baby to equip it with the right nutrients.
As entrepreneurs, we love beginnings. We celebrate launch days. We announcement fundings. The joy of a bigger office space excites us. We launch new products. The applause is loud, like the day of birth.
At the end, all of this won’t matter if you don’t breastfeed your business. Great launches don’t build enduring businesses. Nourishment does. Healthy businesses don’t survive on excitement.
You know what keeps your baby (business) growing?
Customers who keep coming back. Employees who keep believing. Partners who keep opening doors. Ideas that keep evolving. Trust that keeps compounding.
Stop breastfeeding, and even the most promising business weakens.
Before you give birth to another business, ensure you have breastfeed the current one enough. Don’t chase a new product while yesterday’s customers are waiting to hear from us.
Start breastfeeding your baby (business) today. To all breastfeeding mothers, I celebrate you.
Warmly,
Oluboba Ayodeji