Suggest to entrepreneurs that their dilemmas aren’t unique and they are offended. Their first reaction is that you are insulting their business. They don’t want to hear that their business is “like every other business.” Instead, they’ll interject: “Our product has never been created.” After all, they believe that they are doing something special. If they have this perspective, they also believe that the problems they are experiencing are unique.

What keep’s running though the entrepreneur’s head is, “Unless you are here every day, you can’t understand our issues.” It’s true- people who have only worked in larger organizations or have not put their money, career and lifestyle on the line may not understand what the entrepreneur goes through on a daily basis. Yet, responding with a bunker mentality or defensive attitude prevents you from taking advantage of established tools, business principles, guidance from others and supportive mentorship. More importantly, your belief that no one understands your specific situation isolates both you and your team, not only form the knowledge of the larger business world, but of those in the entrepreneurial community.