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>Or you can just start your own company and make your own rules. People need to stop saying this. It is certainly possible to do if you are blessed with the r

>Or you can just start your own company and make your own rules. People need to stop saying this. It is certainly possible to do if you are blessed with the right combination of resources, connections and luck, but the whole "put up or shut up mentality" is merely an invocation of the just world fallacy as applied to startups. The 'worst' professional environment with the worst code base I worked in was run by a authoritarian, although tenacious idiot who lost money consistently for roughly ten years. Some of that was because of how badly he ran things. Were I blessed with millions in family money like he was I certainly would have "started my own company and made my own rules". I wasn't. My runway would have been about 10,000x shorter than his.

OtterCoder 8y ago
If an expat from India, out of his element and native country, with no education or financial backing besides a punishing loan, can run a profitable 7-11, you can run a business too.
- deleted 8y ago
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- Terr_ 8y ago
  > > > Or you can just start your own company and make your own rules. > can run a profitable 7-11 Which is anything but the kind of business where you "make your own rules." 7-11s are a type of business known as a "franchise". To get an idea what that means, just see the company's FAQ [0]: > 7‑Eleven provides a fully stocked, turnkey operation [...] obtains and bears the ongoing cost of the land, building and store equipment [...] pays for the water, sewer, gas and electric utilities [...] pays for any building rent and real estate taxes [...] provides financing for all store-operating expenses [...] provides bookkeeping, bill paying and payroll services for store operations [...] provides a support structure and business consultant who meets with the Franchisee weekly to help maximize store performance. TLDR: It's not a relevant example because it isn't the kind of empowerment (or risk) we're talking about. [0] http://franchise.7-eleven.com/franchise/faq http://franchise.7-eleven.com/franchise/faq
- crdoconnor 8y ago
  >a punishing loan, can run a profitable 7-11 Not really in charge of much if they do that are they?
ksk 8y ago
>It is certainly possible to do if you are blessed with the right combination of resources, connections and luck, but the whole "put up or shut up mentality" is merely an invocation of the just world fallacy as applied to startups. Whats the fallacy for when you think you've identified a fallacy and simply assert it? Just because someone writes down the definition of a fallacy doesn't make it true. A dog has four legs and a tail, but its not a cat. Sorry, the fallacy thing is a pet peeve :P Anyway, back the to topic. I do believe, you missed the central point and latched onto a tangential irrelevant point. The point is identifying the company culture, understanding peoples personalities, their motivations, and then figuring out a way to work together - even if you have an annoying boss, even if your coworkers are incompetent (as they often are), even if you think you know how to fix all problems - is WAY more important than doing something because you think youre hot shit who can prove people wrong. >The 'worst' professional environment with the worst code base I worked in was run by a authoritarian, although tenacious idiot who lost money consistently for roughly ten years. Some of that was because of how badly he ran things. >Were I blessed with millions in family money like he was I certainly would have "started my own company and made my own rules". Okay, but that is not the only way people start companies. SV is its own bubble, when you can funnily enough, become a multimillionaire without turning a single dollar in profit. In the real world people put their savings/health/marriage/family life/ on the line and sacrifice a LOT to start a company.
- crdoconnor 8y ago
  >Whats the fallacy for when you think you've identified a fallacy and simply assert it? Not this. >Anyway, back the to topic. I do believe, you missed the central point and latched onto a tangential irrelevant point. The point is identifying the company culture, understanding peoples personalities, their motivations, and then figuring out a way to work together - even if you have an annoying boss, even if your coworkers are incompetent (as they often are), even if you think you know how to fix all problems - is WAY more important than doing something because you think youre hot shit who can prove people wrong. There are a few people saying that. Nonetheless, I do believe that there are a number of people on this thread who are happy to use that as an excuse to say "shut the fuck up and kiss the ring" (e.g. the guy who said 'wait six months before proposing anything new'). That isn't healthy either, a and if you work with people like that the healthiest response is to leave and try and find somebody who isn't a jerk to work for. >Okay, but that is not the only way people start companies. I didn't say it was. Nonetheless, the most common unifying feature of entrepreneurs isn't a propensity to be trailblazers who take risks - it's access to spare cash, and, shockingly, not every employee of every company has capital just lying around. If we're talking probabilities, the average entrepreneur is more like my boss than Mark Zuckerberg. Bosses like to feel that their authority is deserved though, and it's easier to think that if you spread the myth that just "anybody" can start a company.
dasil003 8y ago
Yes, in addition I would say if the OA did not understand the dynamics at play enough to have a more specific takeaway than "be more likeable" I predict a very difficult time hiring and managing a team.

OtterCoder 8y ago

If an expat from India, out of his element and native country, with no education or financial backing besides a punishing loan, can run a profitable 7-11, you can run a business too.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
Terr_ 8y ago
> > > Or you can just start your own company and make your own rules. > can run a profitable 7-11 Which is anything but the kind of business where you "make your own rules." 7-11s are a type of business known as a "franchise". To get an idea what that means, just see the company's FAQ [0]: > 7‑Eleven provides a fully stocked, turnkey operation [...] obtains and bears the ongoing cost of the land, building and store equipment [...] pays for the water, sewer, gas and electric utilities [...] pays for any building rent and real estate taxes [...] provides financing for all store-operating expenses [...] provides bookkeeping, bill paying and payroll services for store operations [...] provides a support structure and business consultant who meets with the Franchisee weekly to help maximize store performance. TLDR: It's not a relevant example because it isn't the kind of empowerment (or risk) we're talking about. [0] http://franchise.7-eleven.com/franchise/faq http://franchise.7-eleven.com/franchise/faq
crdoconnor 8y ago
>a punishing loan, can run a profitable 7-11 Not really in charge of much if they do that are they?

ksk 8y ago

>It is certainly possible to do if you are blessed with the right combination of resources, connections and luck, but the whole "put up or shut up mentality" is merely an invocation of the just world fallacy as applied to startups. Whats the fallacy for when you think you've identified a fallacy and simply assert it? Just because someone writes down the definition of a fallacy doesn't make it true. A dog has four legs and a tail, but its not a cat. Sorry, the fallacy thing is a pet peeve :P Anyway, back the to topic. I do believe, you missed the central point and latched onto a tangential irrelevant point. The point is identifying the company culture, understanding peoples personalities, their motivations, and then figuring out a way to work together - even if you have an annoying boss, even if your coworkers are incompetent (as they often are), even if you think you know how to fix all problems - is WAY more important than doing something because you think youre hot shit who can prove people wrong. >The 'worst' professional environment with the worst code base I worked in was run by a authoritarian, although tenacious idiot who lost money consistently for roughly ten years. Some of that was because of how badly he ran things. >Were I blessed with millions in family money like he was I certainly would have "started my own company and made my own rules". Okay, but that is not the only way people start companies. SV is its own bubble, when you can funnily enough, become a multimillionaire without turning a single dollar in profit. In the real world people put their savings/health/marriage/family life/ on the line and sacrifice a LOT to start a company.

crdoconnor 8y ago
>Whats the fallacy for when you think you've identified a fallacy and simply assert it? Not this. >Anyway, back the to topic. I do believe, you missed the central point and latched onto a tangential irrelevant point. The point is identifying the company culture, understanding peoples personalities, their motivations, and then figuring out a way to work together - even if you have an annoying boss, even if your coworkers are incompetent (as they often are), even if you think you know how to fix all problems - is WAY more important than doing something because you think youre hot shit who can prove people wrong. There are a few people saying that. Nonetheless, I do believe that there are a number of people on this thread who are happy to use that as an excuse to say "shut the fuck up and kiss the ring" (e.g. the guy who said 'wait six months before proposing anything new'). That isn't healthy either, a and if you work with people like that the healthiest response is to leave and try and find somebody who isn't a jerk to work for. >Okay, but that is not the only way people start companies. I didn't say it was. Nonetheless, the most common unifying feature of entrepreneurs isn't a propensity to be trailblazers who take risks - it's access to spare cash, and, shockingly, not every employee of every company has capital just lying around. If we're talking probabilities, the average entrepreneur is more like my boss than Mark Zuckerberg. Bosses like to feel that their authority is deserved though, and it's easier to think that if you spread the myth that just "anybody" can start a company.

dasil003 8y ago

Yes, in addition I would say if the OA did not understand the dynamics at play enough to have a more specific takeaway than "be more likeable" I predict a very difficult time hiring and managing a team.