I know startups (and the myth about startups) are all about "we'll kill ourselves to crank out the alpha in three months then we'll go live with the beta two mo

I know startups (and the myth about startups) are all about "we'll kill ourselves to crank out the alpha in three months then we'll go live with the beta two months later, because if we don't, our competition will eat us for lunch!" The reality is that not everyone can do that. If you're planning on writing the next social networking platform then, yes, you need to kill yourselves (perhaps even metaphorically). However, if you have a niche application in mind, you can take the slower approach. Indeed, there is truth to the maxim that "slow and steady wins the race." One of the best measures of entrepreneurial success is persistence. One of the best ways to boostrap is to work nights and weekends. Let the man buy your soul while the sun is up, but by nightfall, it's yours again. Use the cash to bankroll your venture. Leave some time for yourself, of course. If you're committed to the project, then you should be able to commit to the year or more that it might take. By the same measure, biting off a smaller chunk can yield faster time to market. It is much better to commit to something and finish it. The feeling is very empowering and can spur you on to bigger and better things. The first project might not be enough to quit the day job. But maybe it's enough to buy a rack of servers and kick start your business for real with a follow-on product.