Article · · By Innam Dustgir
Running Multiple Businesses: Define Your Own Success
Running multiple businesses doesn't automatically mean I'm maximizing how much money I make. And honestly, that's not always the goal, because defining success as an entrepreneur is a personal decision, not a formula you can borrow from someone else.
I genuinely enjoy building different businesses, working with different teams, solving different problems, and learning from different industries. Over 9 years, that has meant building Sirajia Sol, Insol Technologies, and DeepWall.
Could I focus on one business and put all my time and energy into maximizing its revenue?
Probably.
But I don't want to build my life around one number.
Money matters, but it is not the only measure
Money is important. Of course it is. A business that doesn't make money doesn't last, and nobody should pretend otherwise.
But so are freedom, curiosity, learning, ownership, creativity, and the ability to work on things that genuinely interest me.
When I look at how I spend my time, I am not only asking how much a decision will earn. I am also asking whether it gives me room to choose my work, whether I will learn something from it, and whether I will enjoy building it. Those things don't show up on a revenue report, but they shape what my days actually look like.
I think this is something entrepreneurs often miss. We talk about growth as if it only moves in one direction and only has one meaning. In reality, every founder is optimizing for something, whether they say it out loud or not.
Why copying someone's business strategy fails
We see someone running multiple companies, working 12 hours a day, building a big personal brand, or constantly launching new businesses.
Then we think:
"I should do the same."
It is an easy trap. What we see from the outside is the strategy. What we don't see is the reason behind it. We copy the visible part, the hours, the launches, the number of companies, without knowing what that person is actually trying to get out of their life.
That is where things go wrong. A strategy is a tool built for a specific goal. When you borrow the tool without the goal, you end up working hard toward something you never chose. You might copy the 12-hour days of someone who loves the grind, when what you really want is time with your family. You might start a second company because someone else did, when what you really enjoy is going deep on one.
The strategy that works for one entrepreneur may be completely wrong for another. Not because it is a bad strategy, but because it was designed to serve a different life.
The question to ask before you copy anyone
So before copying someone's business strategy, ask a more important question:
What is this person actually trying to get out of their life?
The answer is rarely the same from one founder to the next.
- Maybe they want maximum wealth.
- Maybe they want freedom.
- Maybe they enjoy building companies.
- Maybe they like competition.
- Maybe they want to create something that lasts.
- Or maybe they simply enjoy having different things going on.
Each of these goals leads to very different choices. Someone chasing maximum wealth may focus everything on one business. Someone who wants freedom may keep things smaller and simpler. Someone who enjoys building may start new things often. None of them is wrong. They are just playing different games.
Once you understand someone's goal, their strategy starts to make sense. And just as importantly, you can see clearly whether it makes sense for you.
Then turn the same question on yourself. What are you actually trying to get out of your life? If you can't answer that, any strategy you pick is a guess.
Defining success as an entrepreneur on your own terms
Your business strategy should support the life you want, not the other way around.
That sounds simple, but it changes how you make decisions. Instead of asking "What are successful people doing?" you start asking "What does success look like for me, and does this move me toward it?" Some opportunities will look great on paper and still be the wrong fit. Others will look small and be exactly right.
For me, success isn't only about maximizing dollars.
It's also about having the freedom to choose what I work on, building things I enjoy, and creating a life that feels right to me. Running multiple businesses fits that definition for me. It might not fit yours, and that is fine.
The point is not to run one business or many. The point is to know why you are doing what you are doing, so that your effort goes toward a life you actually want.
Understand the goal first
Don't copy someone's business. Understand their goal first.
Then decide what success means for you.
Innam Dustgir is an entrepreneur from Pakistan and the founder of Sirajia Sol, Insol Technologies, and DeepWall. Learn more at innamdustgir.com.
Originally published on LinkedIn