Young people fail in entrepreneurship for one reason only.

They can only press calculators, but they don't know how to roll in the mud.
How many people believed that online post about a stall selling instant noodles earning 20,000 yuan a month?
Wholesale near-expiry noodles at 1 yuan a pack, frozen beef at over 10 yuan a jin, selling for 18 yuan a bowl, 100 bowls a day.
Who can't do the math? Anyone pressing a calculator is a boss.
You only realize the truth when you actually do it—problems can bury you.
Let me break down the practical pitfalls of this project.
Stall fee.
As long as you're selling food, night market stall fees are the most expensive, with the highest deposits.
If customers get sick from your food, the deposit is fully deducted.
Someone reports you, and law enforcement arrives in ten minutes.
Earning 20,000 yuan a month, they first deduct 8,000 yuan for the stall fee.
Some say they go wild and set up a stall.
In cities with high foot traffic, it's a must.
Free stalls? If foot traffic is too low, there's no point in setting up.
Physical effort.
Selling 100 bowls a day, boiling one every 5 minutes, takes 500 minutes—over 8 hours.
Peak hours are only two hours.
Unless you cook four pots simultaneously, you'll be exhausted and still can't finish.
Heating tools can't be electric; they must use gas canisters.
Have you played with this stuff?
A big bucket of water heated quickly—home gas stoves simply can't do it.
The stove in the back kitchen is worlds apart from at home.
How do customers eat?
Carrying away? Sitting on the roadside curb?
Not providing tables affects sales; if you do, how many do you provide?
Soups that need to stay hot are completely different from meat sandwiches—this is a big taboo in street vending.
Customers litter everywhere—who do you find at the end?
Weather issues.
Wind and rain make it impossible to set up.
Selling 100 bowls a day can't be calculated over 30 days.
You have to subtract four months each year when you can't work due to weather.
Prepared semi-finished products in the daytime, then a sudden thunderstorm before setting out—basically unusable the next day.
Competition.
Even if you find a good location with no stall fee and high foot traffic, within less than a month, pancake and sausage vendors will come.
Food industry peers aren't just selling similar products.
Once customers are full at one place, they won't go elsewhere.
If there's a competitor selling the same thing across the street—selling for 10 yuan while you sell for 18—what do you do?
Dare you flip their stall?
Licensing issues.
Processed foods require permits.
Unlicensed operation, and vigilant citizens will report you—it's a sure thing.
Downstairs selling skewers? Closed after just five days—aren't these examples common?
Supply chain issues.
Buying the cheapest, lowest-quality beef on Pinduoduo.
Either short weight—paying 10 yuan per jin but costing 20 after heating—or poor quality, tasting weird.
If you don't understand the supply chain, you're just waiting to be gouged by suppliers.
What’s the final result after calculations?
Weather reduces income by 25%, so 20,000 yuan becomes 15,000.
Stall fee with tables, then deduct another 8,000, leaving 7,000.
Hiring one or two people, each with a gross profit of 3,500.
Great—soon you'll be a boss everywhere.
Does this sound familiar?
Last year, I rented at least six stalls in Jinan. I saw only a few food vendors earning over 10,000 yuan a month.
A young couple selling snail noodles, riding the wave of a trending product.
Two beautiful women selling durian cakes, with an average order of over 40 yuan, singing and dancing while creating content.
Another guy making purple rice—actually earning money from people across the country coming to learn the craft.
Just ask around at night markets—who's making money with their stalls? It's all clear.
The biggest mistake young entrepreneurs make is treating ideals as reality.
Thinking that finding a good product will make you popular.
Thinking that as long as you work hard, you'll make money.
Thinking that if others succeed, you can too.
No one tells you that those who succeed either caught the right wave, have resources, or are just taking a cut from you.
Remember these three survival tips:
First, don't believe those online stories about earning tens of thousands a month from entrepreneurship.
If it's really profitable, no one will be shouting about it everywhere.
All the hype is just people trying to get you to pay franchise fees.
Second, don't quit your job yet, don't invest money yet.
Work in that industry for three months, figure out all the pitfalls before jumping in.
You can pay tuition, but don't pay too much.
Third, validate with minimal costs.
Want to set up a stall? Borrow a vehicle and try for three days.
Want to open a shop? Sell in your circle of friends for a month.
If no one buys, stop early.
You’ve never had a meal, so you don’t know how ruthless dogs are.
That sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.
Entrepreneurship isn’t calculated; it’s learned through beating.
No matter how skilled you are with a calculator, the market doesn’t care.
After rolling in the mud a few times, you'll know which path to take.
Don’t rush to be the boss.
First, learn how not to die.