Should I start a business?

Question

Rich Dad · Accepted Answer

If you’re even asking this question, there’s already an entrepreneur knocking inside your skull.
Starting a business isn’t about having the perfect idea — it’s about wanting control over your income and your time. If you’re tired of trading hours for dollars and watching someone else get rich off your effort, that’s your signal. The biggest risk isn’t starting a business — it’s spending 40 years building someone else’s.
But don’t be reckless. Start lean. Keep your job if you must, but build something on the side that can scale — a service, a digital product, a niche agency, something with low startup costs and high upside. Test fast. Sell before you perfect. If it generates cash flow, double down. If it doesn’t, pivot. Entrepreneurs don’t wait for certainty — they manufacture opportunity.
Most people overestimate the risk of starting and underestimate the risk of staying small.

Poor Dad · Answer

Before you leap, make sure there’s a safety net under you.
Starting a business sounds exciting, but it’s unstable income, long hours, and high stress — especially in the first few years. Do you have six to twelve months of living expenses saved? Health insurance? No high-interest debt? These things matter. A steady job provides predictable income, benefits, and retirement contributions — that stability is not something to dismiss lightly.
If you truly want to explore it, do it carefully. Start part-time. Research your market thoroughly. Write a proper business plan. Talk to people who have failed — not just those who succeeded. There is nothing wrong with building wealth slowly through a stable career and disciplined investing.
Security first. Ambition second.

Should I start a business?

Rich Dad Says

Poor Dad Says

Whose advice would you follow?

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