Most lists of what you need to do something unconventional are wrong about both halves. Here’s what I’ve come around to.
What you don’t need
You don't need experience.
Experience can get you in the door, but what really matters is where you are now and where you're going next. The past belongs on a resumé.
You don't need years of preparation.
You already have it. It's called life. Whatever has led you to where you are today is good enough to launch you into where you need to go next.
You don't need paperwork.
Degrees, certificates, endorsements, licenses, recommendations, referrals.
You don't need a mentor.
No one else will ever be as invested in your development as you. You can't outsource the responsibility for planning your life.
It's not that these things are unhelpful. It's that they are unnecessary.
What you do need
You need passion.
If you don't feel passionate about anything, chances are you haven't discovered what you're really good at yet. Keep looking.
You need a vision and a task.
The vision tells you where you are going; the task tells you what to do next to get there.
You need the answers to the two most important questions in the universe.
What do you really want to get out of life? How can you help others in a way that no one else can?
You need commitment to stay the course.
Many people give up too early.
What's the difference between the things you don't need and the things you do? Most of the things in the first category come from other people. All of the things in the second category are up to you.