Trying to work on a startup when your emotional gas tank is on empty is basically a cruel paradox. Doing anything productive is virtually impossible when you're

Trying to work on a startup when your emotional gas tank is on empty is basically a cruel paradox. Doing anything productive is virtually impossible when you're consumed with self-hatred. By the same token, starting a startup because you have nothing to lose is generally a terrible idea, because the aforementioned tank is already empty before you even begin. Road trips seldom succeed when you have to push the entire way. While the author didn't make the latter mistake per se, his situation sounds more akin to having embarked upon a road trip with a single tank of gas, and no gas stations along the route.