Prepare - Overview

Starting a growth company takes a lot of work and commitment.  There are some important bases to cover.
1. Cash runway
It's likely that you'll go for 12 months or more with no income.  Do you have the financial resources to manage that?  If not, is there a way to create revenue early on?  Or is there an option to raise some seed capital from friends and family?  (Investors are not likely to be an option until you've developed significant traction.)  Somehow, you'll need to create some cash runway to give you time to get a business going.
 
2. Family support
You'll be working long hours and there will be a lot of stress.  That takes a lot of support an understanding from family and/or significant others.  It's not just you that's making this commitment - it's your support team at home.  It's a very good idea to talk with them about the hard work that will be required to start a company, and to make sure you have their support.
 
3. Drive, commitment, integrity and passion
Drive, commitment and integrity are critical personal attributes for a startup founder to have.  Drive and commitment because there will be many obstacles to overcome.  Integrity because you won't get long term commitment from team members, partners, and customers without it.  Time for some intraspection.  Do you have the drive, commitment and integrity that a startup requires?