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The notion that you can't be an entrepreneur in a "9-5 day job" is one of the most pernicious myths in the tech industry. My current team in a company of nearly

The notion that you can't be an entrepreneur in a "9-5 day job" is one of the most pernicious myths in the tech industry. My current team in a company of nearly 100,000 is very much operating like a couple of the startups I've been involved with in years past. True, there's a lot of politics in the greater organization, but our manager is brilliantly insulating the team against that and is effectively implementing lean thinking, customer-first design and decision making, rapid failures and pivots, product autonomy, and a strong sense of team identity and camaraderie. If we succeed, we may not get bought out with the first 4 or 5 people who started the company walking away with millions while the rest of us are largely left out. Instead, we all make a steady income with medical benefits and are filling up our 401(k)s. And if things don't work out, we'll all still have jobs.

lostmymind66 7y ago
It's really not the same. I'm a consultant and also run a successful business on the side. With my side business, I get to control everything and the feeling I get when I'm actually successful cannot compare to anything from a 9-5. The risk is also part of it. What you describe is an illusion of control. I've tried to fool myself into thinking this would work for me, but in the end, I always felt like something was missing.
- artemisyna 7y ago
  You're emotionally attached to a perception. Teams like the one the other poster described definitely exist. They are also rare but and take work to find. Are you sure the times where you felt like "something was missing" was more of a factor of being on a team that advertised themselves as fast paced while not actually being one?
  - lostmymind66 7y ago
    No. "Something was missing" because a boss above my boss could come in at any time and make changes to the team, project, or anything beyond my control. I can't tell you the number of times this has happened, where someone in a high position wants a ridiculous feature added to project I am working on..and I need to grit my teeth and add it. The company can also be taken down a path I disagree with..with little or no option but to follow. It's fine for many people to enjoy the comfort of a regular salary and benefits that simulates being part of a startup or owning their own company with little risk. But I want the real thing. Even if it means the potential that my decision will cause me to fail. I pay for my own healthcare for my family (which isn't really that expensive) and opened my own retirement account. I have no set schedule for work and can work from anywhere with an Internet connection. I spent years working for other people and many more building the life I have now. It has nothing to do with an emotional attachment when all of the things that I mentioned above actually happen. It's really about power. I want to remove as many people that have power over me as possible. This is true freedom. It's like an animal being in a zoo that looks like their natural habitat and calling them 'free'.
    - artemisyna 7y ago
      > No. "Something was missing" because a boss above my boss could come in at any time and make changes to the team, project, or anything beyond my control. Not to be callous, but sounds like you ended up on a team with a crappy management chain and bad insulation from your manager? I know it's a behavior that definitely happens, but - and admittedly, this is pretty rare - there are teams that exist out there where you do have those freedoms. Out of the 3 teams I've been in so far in industry, I'd say 2.5 of them have had that -- where the higher ups don't really interfere with what you're doing as long as you're intelligent about not going completely off kilter. The emotional attachment here is your perception of power. :)
deleted 7y ago
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lostmymind66 7y ago

It's really not the same. I'm a consultant and also run a successful business on the side. With my side business, I get to control everything and the feeling I get when I'm actually successful cannot compare to anything from a 9-5. The risk is also part of it. What you describe is an illusion of control. I've tried to fool myself into thinking this would work for me, but in the end, I always felt like something was missing.

artemisyna 7y ago
You're emotionally attached to a perception. Teams like the one the other poster described definitely exist. They are also rare but and take work to find. Are you sure the times where you felt like "something was missing" was more of a factor of being on a team that advertised themselves as fast paced while not actually being one?
- lostmymind66 7y ago
  No. "Something was missing" because a boss above my boss could come in at any time and make changes to the team, project, or anything beyond my control. I can't tell you the number of times this has happened, where someone in a high position wants a ridiculous feature added to project I am working on..and I need to grit my teeth and add it. The company can also be taken down a path I disagree with..with little or no option but to follow. It's fine for many people to enjoy the comfort of a regular salary and benefits that simulates being part of a startup or owning their own company with little risk. But I want the real thing. Even if it means the potential that my decision will cause me to fail. I pay for my own healthcare for my family (which isn't really that expensive) and opened my own retirement account. I have no set schedule for work and can work from anywhere with an Internet connection. I spent years working for other people and many more building the life I have now. It has nothing to do with an emotional attachment when all of the things that I mentioned above actually happen. It's really about power. I want to remove as many people that have power over me as possible. This is true freedom. It's like an animal being in a zoo that looks like their natural habitat and calling them 'free'.
  - artemisyna 7y ago
    > No. "Something was missing" because a boss above my boss could come in at any time and make changes to the team, project, or anything beyond my control. Not to be callous, but sounds like you ended up on a team with a crappy management chain and bad insulation from your manager? I know it's a behavior that definitely happens, but - and admittedly, this is pretty rare - there are teams that exist out there where you do have those freedoms. Out of the 3 teams I've been in so far in industry, I'd say 2.5 of them have had that -- where the higher ups don't really interfere with what you're doing as long as you're intelligent about not going completely off kilter. The emotional attachment here is your perception of power. :)

deleted 7y ago

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