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You were downvoted because, quite frankly, your post, and this response, quite frankly, came off with the attitude of "If you don't start your own company, you'

You were downvoted because, quite frankly, your post, and this response, quite frankly, came off with the attitude of "If you don't start your own company, you're an idiot." That, combined with the kneejerk response of "start your own company!" combined with the fact that many of us just plain don't want to do that; we don't want the assload of hours and commitment it comes with that we'd rather spend with our families generally means that such suggestions do not contribute to the discussion. Not to mention, this is "Hacker News", not "Entrepreneur News". While there is a good deal of overlap, most of the content here is technology related, not business related. I don't see many articles being posted here on how to choose a health plan for your company, for instance.

GuiA 9y ago
I reread my posts carefully after reading this reply, and have a hard time seeing what part(s) of my posts convey "If you don't start your own company, you're an idiot". If you could quote said parts, that'd be helpful. "That, combined with the kneejerk response of "start your own company!" combined with the fact that many of us just plain don't want to do that; we don't want the assload of hours and commitment it comes with that we'd rather spend with our families generally means that such suggestions do not contribute to the discussion." Again, not sure what makes it a "knee jerk response"; pointers would be appreciated. As far as the "assload of hours", "never seeing your family", etc... this is exactly what Jason Fried and DHH are writing about. These are _not_ requirements to running a sustainable business. If you read Fried and DHH's writings and find yourself nodding in agreement at every word, I guess there are 2 takeaways one could get from it: the obvious "I really should work at Basecamp!", and the perhaps a bit less obvious "whoa, you can run a sustainable business without killing yourself, and those 2 guys are documenting their process - I could do the same!". I think the latter is not to be overlooked. If you feel strongly that starting a company isn't for you, nothing wrong with that. But harshly attacking HN posters who merely suggest that this could be a worthy option just defies common sense and civil discourse.
- s73ver_ 9y ago
  When someone says, "Man, that place is great; I wish I could work there," and you respond with, and I quote from your original post, "Start your own, run it like you want it to be run," that is a kneejerk response. And you weren't "harshly attacked." You were called out for putting too much into the cult of the startup. And yes, at the beginning, you do have to put in those hours. Ask the people who started Basecamp; in the beginning they did put in those hours. Once those hours were no longer necessary, then they eased back.

GuiA 9y ago

I reread my posts carefully after reading this reply, and have a hard time seeing what part(s) of my posts convey "If you don't start your own company, you're an idiot". If you could quote said parts, that'd be helpful. "That, combined with the kneejerk response of "start your own company!" combined with the fact that many of us just plain don't want to do that; we don't want the assload of hours and commitment it comes with that we'd rather spend with our families generally means that such suggestions do not contribute to the discussion." Again, not sure what makes it a "knee jerk response"; pointers would be appreciated. As far as the "assload of hours", "never seeing your family", etc... this is exactly what Jason Fried and DHH are writing about. These are _not_ requirements to running a sustainable business. If you read Fried and DHH's writings and find yourself nodding in agreement at every word, I guess there are 2 takeaways one could get from it: the obvious "I really should work at Basecamp!", and the perhaps a bit less obvious "whoa, you can run a sustainable business without killing yourself, and those 2 guys are documenting their process - I could do the same!". I think the latter is not to be overlooked. If you feel strongly that starting a company isn't for you, nothing wrong with that. But harshly attacking HN posters who merely suggest that this could be a worthy option just defies common sense and civil discourse.

s73ver_ 9y ago
When someone says, "Man, that place is great; I wish I could work there," and you respond with, and I quote from your original post, "Start your own, run it like you want it to be run," that is a kneejerk response. And you weren't "harshly attacked." You were called out for putting too much into the cult of the startup. And yes, at the beginning, you do have to put in those hours. Ask the people who started Basecamp; in the beginning they did put in those hours. Once those hours were no longer necessary, then they eased back.