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I'd like to fill out the "maybe" part of his "If you answer yes three times, then maybe starting a startup is for you" bit. I answer a very strong yes to all t
by andkon 9y ago
I'd like to fill out the "maybe" part of his "If you answer yes three times, then maybe starting a startup is for you" bit.
I answer a very strong yes to all three of those. Always have. But a startup, despite my always having worked in them and run one of my own for three years, was resolutely not a good idea for me.
It took a lot of self-discovery to see myself not as an entrepreneur, but as an artist, and it's frustrating, because it sure took me a while to admit it. I spent all my time and money and effort trying to be successful as a startup founder, and expecting that I'd eventually feel the spark that I know can drive me. But now I look at the creative work I do on my own, even though I still have a full-time job, and I feel the same connection that Michael describes here, which I had chased for so long.
The irony is that pretty much every idea I have uses the technical skills i built as a startup founder. But hey. Time to do what I always should have.
- danek 9y agoI feel the same way (though I never ran my own startup). On the surface it would make sense for me to start companies. I tick most of the boxes, but at heart I'm more of an artist. Maybe 10 years ago I'd be interested in spending five years of my life for a 1% chance of getting better returns than working for a regular salary. Also I'm no longer in my 20s, not independently wealthy, and most importantly I don't want the stress of being responsible for a company. But that's just where I'm at right now...
- agogolev 9y agoThanks for your replay. What kind of art do you do and can I look at it somewhere online?
- andkon 9y agoI think the best description is conceptual art; I tend to write code or build hardware that gets you into and gets you exploring a specific emotion or feeling. I'm working on where to show it actually — if you send an email to the address in my profile I can share when it's up!
- cryoshon 9y ago>It took a lot of self-discovery to see myself not as an entrepreneur, but as an artist, and it's frustrating, because it sure took me a while to admit it i'm in the midst of this realization as well, not exactly as an artist though. it's shitty-- artists/etc don't get paid.
- andkon 9y agoWell, so far I don't get paid as an artist. But artists definitely get paid. It's probably about as hard as getting paid as a startup founder.