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As a counterpoint: My spouse's ongoing education is currently dependent on my regular income. Once she graduates it'll effectively double our collective income

As a counterpoint: My spouse's ongoing education is currently dependent on my regular income. Once she graduates it'll effectively double our collective income and hopefully give her her first good career. I'm not sure how I could sell gambling all of that on a 90% chance of failure even if I wanted to. Sounds like the act of a gambling addict. Also, if you need to gamble your family's livelihood to find out if your spouse really loves you or not, why are you married? Similar sentiment for your friends. Being able to sympathize with the homeless sounds like a horrible return for sacrificing your livelihood. Dealing with backstabbing co-founders doesn't sound all that educational, just miserable. Fake people are a thing in all walks of life. I don't come from the rosiest background in the world, I've had enough severe instability and drama forced upon me in the past to know there's nothing romantic about it. It should be avoided unless there's a tangible payoff, and certainly greater than a 10% chance of success. My regular corporate job is currently giving me a stable platform upon which I can save, build up my household and consider launching a business on my own terms. It's also giving me valuable professional experience as I see how a large company ships product. I'm so glad I didn't go the startup route straight out of college, I've learned so much about business on the job that my engineering degree never remotely touched. It's hardly my dream job but I don't dread my work, nor do I feel like a zombie. In 10 years I'll likely have enough saved up to seriously consider my own business, and enough contacts/professional clout to go back to regular work if it fails. I'll also have 10 more years of business experience to draw on, likely from at least 2 more companies. Why do a startup now, or God forbid right when I graduated, when I have/had the fewest resources and the fewest advantages?

jaypaulynice 9y ago
You don't think financing your spouse education is a gamble? Who is to say you won't get divorced right after she's done? That's honorable, but at the same time a huge risk.
- true_religion 9y ago
  Whilst anything is possible, it ought to be much easier to gamble on staying married than gamble on a fickle market of consumers liking a product that you haven't built and is in no way similar to anything else.
  - jaypaulynice 9y ago
    This is not true for even the best entrepreneurs of our times...many are divorced multiple times so gambling on staying married is a bigger risk. Elon Musk and Sergey Brin are just a couple examples. Your spouse can dump you at any second no matter how secure you think your relationship is.
    - true_religion 9y ago
      That's an example of entrepreneurship being hard on your relationship. So if you go into a startup, you might end up with both a failed business and a divorce. It's only tenacity, talent, and good timing that lead to Musk and Brin having the good luck to be divorced.... but successful.
- scottLobster 9y ago
  The fact that we were together for 7 years before we were married, and the experiences that came with that. We were a thing long before I had any money to speak of (or any real financial prospects), and she's supported me through quite a bit as I've supported her. If she's milking me for my money then I have no shame, because she'll have outdone Machiavelli several times over to hide it this well for this long. Sometimes people actually love each other. I'm lucky in that regard.
  - jaypaulynice 9y ago
    Nice! You're right in that regard.
aphextron 9y ago
>In 10 years I'll likely have enough saved up to seriously consider my own business, and enough contacts/professional clout to go back to regular work if it fails. I'll also have 10 more years of business experience to draw on, likely from at least 2 more companies. Why do a startup now, or God forbid right when I graduated, when I have/had the fewest resources and the fewest advantages? You'll also be a decade older, probably with children, a mortgage, and a bad back. Business opportunities prime for the taking now will be saturated. There's a trade off to everything. Young, single people willing to accept risk have a lot of intangible advantages.
- scottLobster 9y ago
  Yes to the first three, but my salary will also be 10 years better as will my Spouse's. Low 6 figures combined or better (our target for 10 years) is more than enough for a family and massive savings per year unless you decide to buy a mansion or live in SanFran. Certainly enough to bootstrap something. The state of my back is thankfully entirely within my control. I stay fit, and that includes keeping my back strong and loose, as well as investing in a good chair and monitor stands (considering a standing desk). I have no desire to walk into work with my head practically below my shoulders like some of my older co-workers. As for business opportunities, I see no reason why there should be fewer in 10 years. Different sure, but likely just as many. There are still plenty of areas of growth in technology, no reason to think they'll be dwindling in 10 years. Younger single people do have some advantages. They can undercut experienced professionals on salary and can move at the drop of a hat. Which is why if/when I start a business I won't be competing with 20-somethings on writing CRUD apps. :)
jorblumesea 9y ago
I had a weird realization that startups might be for people who came from stable households that crave a romantic version of drama and hardship. Anyone who grew up lower/lower middle class has absolutely no romanticism about being overworked and underfed.
mrisoli 9y ago
I have similar feelings, I started my own startup just out of college and feel like that was a waste of time. I had never shipped any code more than college assignments, there were some classes on entrepreneurship and business but they were so shallow, I had no professional experience and little knowledge outside of academia, I had no network or audience, I didn't know how to run a team which consisted of my college buddies. After working in a big corporation, big startup, bootstrapped startup and more environments I feel way more prepared and motivated, I know now how to do most of the things I didn't, I have a much bigger network and I know how an actual workplace functions and I feel confident enough I can do it myself.

jaypaulynice 9y ago

You don't think financing your spouse education is a gamble? Who is to say you won't get divorced right after she's done? That's honorable, but at the same time a huge risk.

true_religion 9y ago
Whilst anything is possible, it ought to be much easier to gamble on staying married than gamble on a fickle market of consumers liking a product that you haven't built and is in no way similar to anything else.
- jaypaulynice 9y ago
  This is not true for even the best entrepreneurs of our times...many are divorced multiple times so gambling on staying married is a bigger risk. Elon Musk and Sergey Brin are just a couple examples. Your spouse can dump you at any second no matter how secure you think your relationship is.
  - true_religion 9y ago
    That's an example of entrepreneurship being hard on your relationship. So if you go into a startup, you might end up with both a failed business and a divorce. It's only tenacity, talent, and good timing that lead to Musk and Brin having the good luck to be divorced.... but successful.
scottLobster 9y ago
The fact that we were together for 7 years before we were married, and the experiences that came with that. We were a thing long before I had any money to speak of (or any real financial prospects), and she's supported me through quite a bit as I've supported her. If she's milking me for my money then I have no shame, because she'll have outdone Machiavelli several times over to hide it this well for this long. Sometimes people actually love each other. I'm lucky in that regard.
- jaypaulynice 9y ago
  Nice! You're right in that regard.

aphextron 9y ago

>In 10 years I'll likely have enough saved up to seriously consider my own business, and enough contacts/professional clout to go back to regular work if it fails. I'll also have 10 more years of business experience to draw on, likely from at least 2 more companies. Why do a startup now, or God forbid right when I graduated, when I have/had the fewest resources and the fewest advantages? You'll also be a decade older, probably with children, a mortgage, and a bad back. Business opportunities prime for the taking now will be saturated. There's a trade off to everything. Young, single people willing to accept risk have a lot of intangible advantages.

scottLobster 9y ago
Yes to the first three, but my salary will also be 10 years better as will my Spouse's. Low 6 figures combined or better (our target for 10 years) is more than enough for a family and massive savings per year unless you decide to buy a mansion or live in SanFran. Certainly enough to bootstrap something. The state of my back is thankfully entirely within my control. I stay fit, and that includes keeping my back strong and loose, as well as investing in a good chair and monitor stands (considering a standing desk). I have no desire to walk into work with my head practically below my shoulders like some of my older co-workers. As for business opportunities, I see no reason why there should be fewer in 10 years. Different sure, but likely just as many. There are still plenty of areas of growth in technology, no reason to think they'll be dwindling in 10 years. Younger single people do have some advantages. They can undercut experienced professionals on salary and can move at the drop of a hat. Which is why if/when I start a business I won't be competing with 20-somethings on writing CRUD apps. :)

jorblumesea 9y ago

I had a weird realization that startups might be for people who came from stable households that crave a romantic version of drama and hardship. Anyone who grew up lower/lower middle class has absolutely no romanticism about being overworked and underfed.

mrisoli 9y ago

I have similar feelings, I started my own startup just out of college and feel like that was a waste of time. I had never shipped any code more than college assignments, there were some classes on entrepreneurship and business but they were so shallow, I had no professional experience and little knowledge outside of academia, I had no network or audience, I didn't know how to run a team which consisted of my college buddies. After working in a big corporation, big startup, bootstrapped startup and more environments I feel way more prepared and motivated, I know now how to do most of the things I didn't, I have a much bigger network and I know how an actual workplace functions and I feel confident enough I can do it myself.