6 ms·

Exactly. How many untold stories are there where they 'quit their jobs, remortgaged their houses' and now they live in a cardboard box under a bridge and their

Exactly. How many untold stories are there where they 'quit their jobs, remortgaged their houses' and now they live in a cardboard box under a bridge and their kids have been taken into care. Passion is a fantastic asset but a lot of these people confuse it with stupidity.

grecy 9y ago
> How many untold stories are there where they 'quit their jobs, remortgaged their houses' and now they live in a cardboard box under a bridge and their kids have been taken into care Oh please, stop with the scare mentality. Even if things go badly they are still educated, hard working people and would have no problem at all getting an entry level position in one day flat and living modestly for a decade or so. They're not going to live in cardboard boxes.
- PhasmaFelis 9y ago
  > Oh please, stop with the scare mentality. This industry has a huge problem with survivorship bias. We keep encouraging people to burn themselves out doing startups that usually fail. Some cold reality is necessary, IMHO. By all means chase your dreams, but have a backup plan and don't bet anything you can't afford to lose.
  - grecy 9y ago
    > By all means chase your dreams You bet, I'm driving around Africa right now! :)
    - taway_1212 9y ago
      How do you research which areas are safe?
      - grecy 9y ago
        Talking to locals, military, border guards, UN workers, ex-pats, travelers, etc. this is me http://theroadchoseme.com http://theroadchoseme.com
- tunetine 9y ago
  Modestly with an entry level job with kids, no credit, and no place to live? I'm not sure who is more realistic.
  - grecy 9y ago
    They live in Canada. They have healthcare and education. They can rent a house. They'll be perfectly fine.
- GuiA 9y ago
  They're in Canada, so yes, you are correct - there is a fairly decent net of social programs that will cover them even if they go broke and get really sick or have to pay for their kids' education. Not the case in every country.
- taneq 9y ago
  > entry level position in one day flat and living modestly for a decade or so It's still essentially setting your career back by 5-10 years... that's a significant downside. And given that it's by far the most likely outcome, it's foolish to discount it.
- j7ake 9y ago
  I agree they won't be living in cardboard boxes but the majority of these business risks end up in failure, with a portion of those ending up with significant debt. This debt can prevent sending kids to college, and being able to purchase a home. Many of these are historically considered attainable by the middle class. It is not so clear whether it is always a good idea to go this route, considering other options. The survivorship bias is strong in this space and it needs to be taken into account.
- SyneRyder 9y ago
  > They're not going to live in cardboard boxes. Maybe not, but I've seen quite a few indies with massive debt, and who are struggling with depression & anxiety as a result, and that's huge pressure on their family. Which makes keeping the family together an added anxiety, and then it's a vicious cycle. [It echoes the Phil Fish line from Indie Game: The Movie about wanting to kill himself.] Burning yourself out on making a game (or a startup, or anything) is not worth that. Family and general happiness is so important. Keep things in scope so that if the lottery ticket doesn't work out, you've still got things to fall back on.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  > and living modestly for a decade or so I.e. about 1/5 of your adult life. That's a huge setback, and I'd say a serious and irreparable damage to one's life.

grecy 9y ago

> How many untold stories are there where they 'quit their jobs, remortgaged their houses' and now they live in a cardboard box under a bridge and their kids have been taken into care Oh please, stop with the scare mentality. Even if things go badly they are still educated, hard working people and would have no problem at all getting an entry level position in one day flat and living modestly for a decade or so. They're not going to live in cardboard boxes.

PhasmaFelis 9y ago
> Oh please, stop with the scare mentality. This industry has a huge problem with survivorship bias. We keep encouraging people to burn themselves out doing startups that usually fail. Some cold reality is necessary, IMHO. By all means chase your dreams, but have a backup plan and don't bet anything you can't afford to lose.
- grecy 9y ago
  > By all means chase your dreams You bet, I'm driving around Africa right now! :)
  - taway_1212 9y ago
    How do you research which areas are safe?
    - grecy 9y ago
      Talking to locals, military, border guards, UN workers, ex-pats, travelers, etc. this is me http://theroadchoseme.com http://theroadchoseme.com
tunetine 9y ago
Modestly with an entry level job with kids, no credit, and no place to live? I'm not sure who is more realistic.
- grecy 9y ago
  They live in Canada. They have healthcare and education. They can rent a house. They'll be perfectly fine.
GuiA 9y ago
They're in Canada, so yes, you are correct - there is a fairly decent net of social programs that will cover them even if they go broke and get really sick or have to pay for their kids' education. Not the case in every country.
taneq 9y ago
> entry level position in one day flat and living modestly for a decade or so It's still essentially setting your career back by 5-10 years... that's a significant downside. And given that it's by far the most likely outcome, it's foolish to discount it.
j7ake 9y ago
I agree they won't be living in cardboard boxes but the majority of these business risks end up in failure, with a portion of those ending up with significant debt. This debt can prevent sending kids to college, and being able to purchase a home. Many of these are historically considered attainable by the middle class. It is not so clear whether it is always a good idea to go this route, considering other options. The survivorship bias is strong in this space and it needs to be taken into account.
SyneRyder 9y ago
> They're not going to live in cardboard boxes. Maybe not, but I've seen quite a few indies with massive debt, and who are struggling with depression & anxiety as a result, and that's huge pressure on their family. Which makes keeping the family together an added anxiety, and then it's a vicious cycle. [It echoes the Phil Fish line from Indie Game: The Movie about wanting to kill himself.] Burning yourself out on making a game (or a startup, or anything) is not worth that. Family and general happiness is so important. Keep things in scope so that if the lottery ticket doesn't work out, you've still got things to fall back on.
TeMPOraL 9y ago
> and living modestly for a decade or so I.e. about 1/5 of your adult life. That's a huge setback, and I'd say a serious and irreparable damage to one's life.