In 2007, I worked on a retention campaign within a small tech start-up. I loved my job and it was made even better by the fact that I hired most of the people on the floor that I daily walked.

Instead of attempting to project so far out with ambitious designs, consider releasing more limited versions of your product in waves over the course of the same time period. That way, consumers can have access to the product sooner rather than later.

Many businesses that seem to understand the new paradigm still fall for some common mistakes, like the following, that can blunt the effectiveness of their efforts.

Every founder moving into the executive role has to step back and take a hard look at what works, and what doesn't work. The best ones can do that, and they adapt.

If you really want to be an entrepreneur, there is no time like the present. Old habits die hard, so the longer you wait, the harder it will be to make the jump, and your odds of success go down.