For entrepreneurs, a brilliant new business idea is like your first crush. You can’t stop thinking about it, you’re excited to tell all your friends, and you’re certain the love will last forever. But after the initial novelty fades, you’re left with an imposing question: what next?

For many, entrepreneurship is more than a career; it’s a calling. But in the Shark Tank generation, the tug of starting a business can be overpowering. Because the financial, emotional, and reputational risks of entrepreneurship are heavy, there are many good reasons not to launch a company.