What challenges did you have to overcome as an entrepreneur?

At first, we struggled to figure out a way to increase our profits while getting our content to as many people as possible. Free content usually reaches the most people, which then has the biggest impact. It was very hard to find a balance that was profitable while having the biggest possible impact.² We solved this problem by creating an active community where users could interact with others with a similar passion in quantum computing and get their quantum computing questions answered within minutes. We also started selling advertising space on our newsletters, Discord server [a community chat platform], and social media platforms. This allowed us to provide free content and expand our user base. This growth has also allowed us to make more money and have more impact.

What are some key lessons you learned as an entrepreneur?

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. This should be done with caution, but it is worthwhile to invest in products that will make the organization more profitable in the long run. For example, we invested time and money on emailing services which helped us reach out to the quantum community and announce exciting events. This allowed us to gain attention around the world and it led to partnerships with other companies.

Save money! This seems to go against my first point about investing, but it is always important to keep most of your earnings in the bank. Definitely invest in products that will bring higher profits, but don’t overdo it. The market can change at any time, and your past fundraising efforts may not work anymore. Save money to prevent a sudden financial downfall.

Being an entrepreneur is difficult. As I previously mentioned, there are many times when you must deal with ambiguity and trust your gut. The initial process of getting a business started – building your first product, gaining your first customer, etc. – is the hardest. It is the time of the most ambiguity and the time when you will most likely want to quit. However, once you pass that initial threshold, it gets a lot easier. It is like pouring gas on a fire, as opposed to starting it from scratch.