3 ms·

> But don't do it because you want to do it. Do it because you literally can't imagine not doing it. What about because you can't bear the thought of having to

> But don't do it because you want to do it. Do it because you literally can't imagine not doing it. What about because you can't bear the thought of having to work 8 hours a day for the rest of your life? I realize this is probably among the "bad" reasons to start a business (and it probably sounds disrespectful to people who have and will keep on doing that until retirement), but that is how I feel currently. It may sound like a burnout problem, but there wasn't anything to be burned out by except... having to actually work full-time. I now freelance 10-15 hours per week and that feels doable but I'm not going to have a fun retirement with that (at least living expenses are covered).

auspex 6y ago
It is a valid reason. Some people start companies to actually make money. If that is your motivation it can be very powerful. I would also say that it’s going to be (probably) years of 12+ hour days that might end in failure.
- startup_thrway 6y ago
  Thanks. Somehow that doesn't sound as bad, as long as there is reasonable (whatever that means) chance of it working out. Although, logically, it's clear to me that it is harder than working a job. Only way to know is to do it, I guess. And maybe see a therapist, because this dread of having to work sounds weird now that I put it in writing. And I did it for many years without seeming to suffer too much, at the time at least.
  - unphased 6y ago
    You have to at least try to find a path toward self-actualization at your current job. Depends on how your relationships are with your various coworkers. For example my personal experience is this: Last gig was a startup, but I was stuck with the wrong people. It only takes one bad apple in your group of cofounders to generate enough chaos to plunge the whole thing into the ground. Since I bailed, I started working 9-5 at a job that pays me more than I've ever been paid and I split my time here working on 3 different projects which are all exciting and which I have a good deal of creative control over, and I enjoy working with every single one of my coworkers. It is my belief that the most effective way to move yourself toward the working environment that you want to have is to shape yourself in the image of the type of person that you want to work with. In my experience that has something to do with experience and knowledge... so I do not shy away from opportunities in which I can expand my experience or knowledge especially in the topics that I'm passionate about. And it's also important to proactively share your experience and knowledge. That one is the most genuine way to demonstrate that you know your stuff.
gkoberger 6y ago
The article is specifically about VC-backed startups, so I was speaking to that. If you’re worried about burnout, don’t start a company. I take a lot of time off, but you can never really shut your laptop off. That being said, a smaller drop shipping company or something similar could work!
jimbokun 6y ago
> What about because you can't bear the thought of having to work 8 hours a day for the rest of your life? Probably the lowest risk strategy to solve this problem is get a FAANG job and invest at least half your salary in mutual funds for 10 years.
- startup_thrway 6y ago
  Yes, probably. Unfortunately, no such thing in my neighborhood.
- icedchai 6y ago
  Yep, I know someone who did this, but without a FAANG job, living in a relatively low cost of living area. It took 15 years to get to the first million, and roughly 20 years to get to two. You need to be able to handle a lot of ups and downs, like the dot com crash, great recession, and now corona. A lot of people, quite understandably, can't deal with that sort of volatility. You'll see $100K+ drops in a month. You'll also see 6 figure gains, of course. Some people give up, put it all into bonds. That's not good, either.

auspex 6y ago

It is a valid reason. Some people start companies to actually make money. If that is your motivation it can be very powerful. I would also say that it’s going to be (probably) years of 12+ hour days that might end in failure.

startup_thrway 6y ago
Thanks. Somehow that doesn't sound as bad, as long as there is reasonable (whatever that means) chance of it working out. Although, logically, it's clear to me that it is harder than working a job. Only way to know is to do it, I guess. And maybe see a therapist, because this dread of having to work sounds weird now that I put it in writing. And I did it for many years without seeming to suffer too much, at the time at least.
- unphased 6y ago
  You have to at least try to find a path toward self-actualization at your current job. Depends on how your relationships are with your various coworkers. For example my personal experience is this: Last gig was a startup, but I was stuck with the wrong people. It only takes one bad apple in your group of cofounders to generate enough chaos to plunge the whole thing into the ground. Since I bailed, I started working 9-5 at a job that pays me more than I've ever been paid and I split my time here working on 3 different projects which are all exciting and which I have a good deal of creative control over, and I enjoy working with every single one of my coworkers. It is my belief that the most effective way to move yourself toward the working environment that you want to have is to shape yourself in the image of the type of person that you want to work with. In my experience that has something to do with experience and knowledge... so I do not shy away from opportunities in which I can expand my experience or knowledge especially in the topics that I'm passionate about. And it's also important to proactively share your experience and knowledge. That one is the most genuine way to demonstrate that you know your stuff.

gkoberger 6y ago

The article is specifically about VC-backed startups, so I was speaking to that. If you’re worried about burnout, don’t start a company. I take a lot of time off, but you can never really shut your laptop off. That being said, a smaller drop shipping company or something similar could work!

jimbokun 6y ago

> What about because you can't bear the thought of having to work 8 hours a day for the rest of your life? Probably the lowest risk strategy to solve this problem is get a FAANG job and invest at least half your salary in mutual funds for 10 years.

startup_thrway 6y ago
Yes, probably. Unfortunately, no such thing in my neighborhood.
icedchai 6y ago
Yep, I know someone who did this, but without a FAANG job, living in a relatively low cost of living area. It took 15 years to get to the first million, and roughly 20 years to get to two. You need to be able to handle a lot of ups and downs, like the dot com crash, great recession, and now corona. A lot of people, quite understandably, can't deal with that sort of volatility. You'll see $100K+ drops in a month. You'll also see 6 figure gains, of course. Some people give up, put it all into bonds. That's not good, either.