What is the biggest obstacle in choosing whether to become an entrepreneur?

Entrepreneurship is a dream for many – to manage one's time, to realize one's own ideas, to take risks, but also the rewards from one's own business. But if so many people are inspired by this idea, why actually so few dare to take the first step?

Our survey, conducted among a wide audience of professionals and career-oriented individuals, posed one key question:
“What is the biggest obstacle for people to become entrepreneurs?“
The results reveal surprising, yet indicative truths about the psychological and social barriers to entrepreneurship.

 

Survey results:

1. Prefer security – 58%
2. They put on the brakes themselves – 21%
3. Waiting for the “right” moment – 19%
4. The advice of family and friends – 1%

 

Analysis: Security above all

With the largest share of votes – 58% – participants indicate that they prefer security, which comes with stable employment and predictable future. This aligns with the global trend: in uncertain economic times, people strive to minimize risk. The “9 to 5” job, with a fixed salary, health insurance, and vacation, seems like a safer choice compared to the uncertainty of business.

This is logical and particularly valid in cultures where entrepreneurship is not deeply rooted or supported by the system – lack of easy access to financing, excessive bureaucracy, or misunderstanding of risk thinking.

 

Internal barriers: Self-sabotage and procrastination

The next two reasons are deeply personal:

• “They put on the brakes themselves” – 21%
• “They wait for the right moment” – 19%

These are indicators of internal insecurity, fear of failure, lack of confidence, or the feeling that “I am not ready.” It is common for people to set unattainable standards for themselves or to convince themselves that entrepreneurship requires the “perfect” idea, moment, partner, market.

In practice, such thinking leads to constant procrastination, and the “right moment” never comes – especially if expectations are idealized.

 

Social influence: Negligibly small

An interesting result is that only 1% of respondents believe that the advice of family and friends holds them back. This can be interpreted in two ways:

1. People already differentiate between others' opinions and personal desires.
2. Or – more likely – the main resistance does not come from outside, but from within.

This is an encouraging sign – social pressure seems to have less significance in today's career culture than personal psychology.

 

What conclusions can we draw:

• Entrepreneurship does not fail due to external factors, but due to internal barriers. People want freedom, but fear uncertainty and refuse to take the risk it requires.
• The most common obstacle is psychological, not structural – the need for security outweighs the desire for independence.
• Preparation, planning, and education can reduce fear and turn uncertainty into calculable risk, which is key to creating an entrepreneurial culture.
• Entrepreneurship should not be romanticized, but it should not be mystified either – very often the “first step” is just a matter of mindset.