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Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs
I'm a YC '08 Reject underwhelmed by my safe, boring corporate gig. Regular scans of HN remind me of the excellent things happening elsewhere. I was particularly struck by the theory that the best example you can set for your kids (0 so far) is to pursue your dreams, not an income.
I quit today, bought the supportive girlfriend a ring, and will start January 2011 as my own boss. I'm giving myself six months to bootstrap. Thought you should be the first to know.
Let the fun begin.
- efsavage 16y ago"the best example you can set for your kids ... is to pursue your dreams, not an income" My father did this, in several ways, and failed massively at all of them, and yet for reasons I can't really articulate I 100% agree with this.
- PStamatiou 16y agojriley: Email me paul@notifo.com Would love to intro you to someone you should meet in Austin.
- narsimham 16y agothis is a great way to go. i left my job with no savings and intending to do the same thing, because i was just not happy with my position at my new employer. within three months i was completely broke, but with a github account with hundreds of commits.. and then my old boss from my second-to-last job called, and offered me job back, at a huge raise, and allowing me to work remotely, and pursue my own codebase/startup dream on the side. quitting for the right reasons can have wonderful side benefits. :)
- arianb 16y agoIt'll be a tough and long road, but if you're really set on it, you'll be happier than ever. Good luck, man.
- danielson 16y agoGodspeed!
- kaffeinecoma 16y agoWhat are you planning to work on?
- jriley 16y agoThe original project exists in working order and my partners agreed to let me buy their share. I'll be building out v2 as we designed. We all took 2 weeks off in 2007 to build it, launched it, and hardly ever touched it again. v2 carries it to iPhone, iPad and starts marketing it. If I have ambition after that I've got a few quick ideas (a short e-book on an area I've developed expertise, an obscure niche how-to site, fixing up my rental property, etc).
- tapiwa 16y agoWell, good luck. Do not necessarily do one project at a time though. Keep a list of things you want to work on. Whenever you find yourself needing to take a break from the main project, chip away at one of the secondary projects. You might be surprised to find the idea you deem least important actually giving you the biggest payoff.
- doublez 16y ago+1
- Semiapies 16y agoYou took a few downvotes from a faux pas; don't worry about it, but keep in mind that here, we just upvote the original post for a direct "+1".
- jey 16y agoRelevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwG_qR6XmDQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwG_qR6XmDQ Rumor is that the "boss" was actually David E. Shaw himself.
- hasenj 16y agoI already regret not learning serious hacking in high school and university. I got lots of A's (and B's), mind you, and I did work on projects of my own and everything, but I really saw it as just a hobby. I was always on windows, mostly dependent an IDEs, and I always thought I gotta be doing something more serious, like gasp oil and gas. Good thing I'm still 25. But I really feel like I should've started thinking about doing a startup when I was 18 or 20.
- gregpilling 16y agoI am 41 with a product to be launched soon. It is never too late.
- earle 16y agoIt's not a rumor, Jeff Bezos did indeed work at D.E. Shaw & Co. So did quite a few well known people in technology.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- skbach 16y ago6 mos ain't enough, but otherwise, great idea.
- sachitgupta 16y agoHow much do you think is enough?
- nostrademons 16y ago3 years. http://friendfeed.com/paul/0268007b/how-long-does-it-take-to-develop-good-product http://friendfeed.com/paul/0268007b/how-long-does-it-take-to...
- eru 16y agoYou can start making money with less than a good product. And needing no customer feedback, because you have long runway, may actually not be the best external stimulus to choose. (Take this opinion with a grain of salt, I haven't done my own startup, yet.)
- joshuaxls 16y agoUnless you're Groupon or any number of other startups. It helps to start out with a business model.
- nostrademons 16y agoAndrew Mason first had the idea for Groupon in September 2006, which was more than 2 years before Groupon officially "started" in November 2008, and probably at least 3 years before they achieved mainstream success. http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2010/On-Groupon-and-its-founder-Andrew-Mason/ http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2010/On-Gr...
- chc 16y agoMy mom first had the idea for rollerblades in 1968 — that doesn't mean she's a cofounder of Nordica. Thinking of an idea for a business is so many light years away from actually acting on that idea.
- noelchurchill 16y agoYour account is less than an hour old. Did you create a new one since applying to YC in 08?
- jriley 16y agoYes, just created this account. I never posted on the old account, just read.
- dorkitude 16y agoCongrats :) If you're in SF, let me know We have a sweet co-working space for hackers with all of the three C's: coffee, camaraderie, and a fast connection
- jriley 16y agoAppreciate it. I'm actually in Austin though, and eager to meet some like-minded folks. I'll be checking out the local bootstrap chapter to start.
- lrm242 16y agoLove to meet Austin entrepreneurs. Send me a note and let's get coffee: LinkedIn is in my profile or marascio at gmail.
- codypo 16y agoI can vouch for getting together with Louis. He and I have done coffee a couple of times now, and he's got a great perspective on everything from funding to really in-depth technical issues.
- jcsalterego 16y agoYou should hit up http://cafebedouins.com http://cafebedouins.com and http://opencoffeeaustin.org http://opencoffeeaustin.org.
- malbiniak 16y agoCongratulations, good luck, and reach out often and always if you need a nudge or support. Full disclosure: I've been in the same boat and have been threatening to jump. If you're open to it, I'd love to exchange a few emails. ps, wasn't there a new incubator recently announced in Austin?
- codypo 16y agoI can speak from experience when I say that Austin's entrepreneurial community is welcoming, supportive, and full of very sharp folks. You should definitely check out the Lean Startup group (http://www.meetup.com/Austin-Lean-Startup-Circle/ http://www.meetup.com/Austin-Lean-Startup-Circle/). Our next meetup is a joint holiday mixer with a lot of other Austin groups (like Austin on Rails), and it promises to be a great way to meet a ton of folks. Also, I'm not sure if you're looking for a workspace with a lot of people in the same position, but we've really benefited from participation in the Austin Technology Incubator. Edit: why do I say folks so much?
- joshstrike 16y agoYeah, but what they don't mention on Ycomb. is that this is all, 100% hype, and none of these ideas has a profit model. The rent around here is paid out by trust funds and the last dregs of the second web VC hysteria. There are only two guaranteed ways to make money with an internet startup: Porn, and gambling. Ironically, the only two things YC won't invest in. So wholesome, they are.
- staunch 16y ago> Thought you should be the first to know. Good and good luck. Now please tell your fiancée!
- ZackShapiro 16y agoGet 'em!
- suhail 16y agojriley: Email me suhail@mixpanel.com -- You just got free Mixpanel, good luck when you launch we're here to help.
- DanielN 16y agoThis is some of the best and most simplistic advertising and pr I've seen in a while. I've heard of mix panel probably 50 times but this was the first time I clicked through your website to see what you guys are all about. Nice product by the way.
- bueller 16y agoha me too
- jacquesm 16y agoClassy!
- Semiapies 16y agoGood luck!
- patio11 16y agoCongratulations on making the most important decision of your life and, secondarily, on opening the business. Words cannot express how much better self-employment is than what I used to do for a living.
- StavrosK 16y agoWell, it's only good if it's making you money...
- Ixiaus 16y agoNot always true...
- thenbrent 16y agoIt's only sustainable if it's making you money. It's always good, even when it's bad.
- StavrosK 16y agoIt depends on your definition of good, then... It's certainly enjoyable, but if you lost years of your life and have nothing to show for it, I wouldn't consider it a tremendous success. That said, there's nothing I'd want to do more than having a startup.
- thenbrent 16y agoif you lost years of your life and have nothing to show for it If you have nothing to show for it, you haven't actually started a startup. You may not get a 7 figure bank balance to show for it, but you'll get something out it. Be it a website you can show off, better anecdotes for job interviews & parties or a network of new friends.
- cicero 16y agoThere are things that are far more valuable than money that a person can gain from an experience.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- jeromec 16y agoLet the [work] begin. FTFY I hope you're prepared to work at least five times harder than you did at your safe job, and for little to no guaranteed reward. Actually, if you're only giving yourself six months, make that ten times harder. I would say good luck, but considering around 90% of startups fail, work hard, be persistent and expect difficulty, seems more helpful to say. The success stories appearing on HN can give a skewed impression on how hard it is to succeed. Congratulations, though, for bucking a potential path of regrets. Edit: A bit more advice is release early, and often. The trick is finding the balance between minimum viability and having enough value for traction. Iterating on an idea is almost always necessary, so be on the lookout for how that can help and possibly even save your endeavor. A six month deadline to succeed means you're really going to be up against it.
- rewind 16y agoThe comments and/or advice you're giving (and the tone you're using) are the type of things you say to someone before they decide to make the jump if you want them to think long and hard before making a tough decision. When you say it like this to someone who is announcing that his decision is made, you just sound condescending. It doesn't help that you throw in a bunch of advice when you don't even know who he is, what his company/product is about, or what his plan is.
- jeromec 16y agoI don't mean to sound condescending. I can't help the timing of the decision, either. I'm also guessing he's read HN enough to have more than my comments to weigh for various perceptions of a startup. To my knowledge the failure rate of startups is around 90% (not my doing). In light of that, I felt the best thing I could do if I wanted to truly help, which I do, is try and foster a tough, ready for battle mental mindset. His announcement seemed a bit cheery and optimistic, and I wanted to suggest that, realistically, the road to startup success is not usually a cakewalk. HN is largely a startup community, so I figured others might find value in my comments as well, and if such comments harm his enthusiasm, and are more destructive than constructive then, IMO, he's quite likely to end up in the 90%.
- 16y ago
- donaq 16y agoGood luck!
- sreitshamer 16y agoYou might need a lot more than 6 months. But, like my wife always tells me, you don't fail as an entrepreneur until you quit. And the ride is sure worth it. Life is short.
- kadavy 16y agoAmen on that. I figured I'd need 6 months starting about 3 years ago. Things are really starting to come together now though.
- pbhjpbhj 16y ago>you don't fail as an entrepreneur until you quit. I'm not experienced in it, but I imagine that one can fail as an entrepreneur because you didn't quit. Flogging dead horses and all.
- rrrhys 16y agoBest of luck, very envious over here! Do you have a blog?
- jriley 16y agoThanks, no blog yet. Plan to start and post as I learn (Austin places to work/meet, local grants and SBA loans, best library for tech books, etc).
- middlegeek 16y agoGood deal, I am happy for you! Get some stuff done.
- toast76 16y agoIf I have two pieces of advice I can share, 1. Pick up some contract work - you can easily turn 6 mths into 12 mths, and then 2 years, then 3...no matter how many projects fail to get off the ground, if you have a bit of side income, it'll help in the long run. 2. Don't ever forget why you quit - if that is to "pursue your dreams, not an income". Write it on a wall above your monitors and don't ever forget it. EDIT: Oh, and good luck! :)
- nerd_in_rage 16y agohow much cash do you have in savings? i'm thinking of doing the same thing.
- jriley 16y agoLiving Fat = 3 months, Living Lean = 12+ months. I'll use my 401k but not Roth IRA. Also have some equity/cashflow from a duplex that helps. FWIW, I woke up this morning feeling great on 4 hrs sleep and not worried about money at all - the prior six months mornings were filled with worry and dread.
- volandovengo 16y agoGood for you man, I did the same about a month ago. Amazing how hard I found getting rid of the golden handcuffs.
- checoivan 16y agoGlad to hear this kind of stuff. Your words encourage me to do the exact same thing.
- gshannon 16y agoThis is the best thing you will ever do. You will look back at this moment and realize it is the defining moment in your life.
- kj12345 16y agoGood luck! One odd piece of advice I have is to recommend limiting the amount of startup advice you read online. It's too generic now that you've committed. Focus on what you're creating, not on making your venture look like the internet's current concept of "startup". Look, for example, at the popular phrase "Minimum Viable Product". You'll find a lot of excitement around the "minimum" part, but the "viable" part matters also and is fully dependent on what you're doing. There are many things that are unique about individual businesses, but generic online advice by necessity exaggerates the shared aspects.
- dstein 16y agoOnce you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade. -Tony Robbins
- Desireco 16y agoDon't listen to whiny voices about how you need to work hard. You don't. You need to manage your time well and be very persistent and consistent in work you output. Good luck.
- keeptrying 16y agoCongrats! Reread pg's essays on how to startup etc ... As u read them this time around, the words will prtain to your immediate situation and will help unwhen things look bleak. Best of luck.
- csomar 16y agoI still a student but I'm building my small Internet Empire, so that I don't need to apply for a job when I finish studies (or better, don't think about it). I completed around 35% of my studies and yet, this month, made (around $400) what an Engineer would make in my area. I'm enthusiastic about the future, especially the next month, when I'll release my Wordpress Premium plugin (and estimate $1K in sales in one month). Even if you have a nice job, make sure you always have an alternative, in case of... you don't get sucked, by anyone.
- ncarroll 16y agoCongratulations, jriley on not one, but two monumental decisions. The ring for your girlfriend should turn out to be a contribution to your success equal to your decision to leave your job. Good luck to you both!
- whiletruefork 16y agoI just did the same thing, albeit - I only gave myself 6 weeks to make acceptable progress on something (anything) before I start working full time again. It's my mental safeguard against procrastination.
- seejay 16y agoDear fellow HNer, This is to help you when you visit this page again in a difficult time... Shit happens... thats completely normal. Awesome things will definitely come your way. You only gotta do one simple thing... Keep swinging!.. Don't ever give up! Tattoo this on the back of your hand if you want... it's totally worth the trouble. With the very best of luck, SeeJay PS: And thank me on that day when you read this post again with joy... Oh just for the record, No! I don't have it tattooed on the back of my hand... I make sure I have it on my mind instead. ;-)
- raghava 16y agoWonderful! Wish you a ton of good luck! >>underwhelmed by my safe, boring corporate gig I know how it feels! :( And am yet to break those handcuffs.
- tomrod 16y agoBest of luck! If things look grim, don't give in.
- gawker 16y agoGood luck and do let us know how it goes!!
- marcamillion 16y agoFirstly...let me say...Congrats. Secondly, brilliant that you made sure to lock in the girlfriend at the beginning of the journey, not after you started when she realizes what a crazy person you are - and how crappy the emotional roller coaster will be. :) Thirdly, I wish you all the best. I would recommend that you quickly setup a landing page to ride the support you are getting from the community - collecting emails from people interested in what you are doing. You have to take advantage of all of these opportunities right now, because you officially have a clock strapped to your back (i.e. before you run out of money). So leverage every opportunity to the most you can. On the landing page, put something about the project that people can figure out if they would be interested or not. Fourthly, definitely keep us posted - even those that might not be interested in your product, will be inspired by your story.
- eande 16y agoWhen I kicked off my startup in Jan 2010 I thought in 6 months the bootstrap period will come to an end. Now 12 months into it and still some more time needed. My advice check on the six month bootstrap timing you plan, might be a little short.
- d8niel 16y agoYou only live once!