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Former nuclear fusion startup founder here. I ended up evicted and living in my car after it didn't work out. But I still wish the current set of researchers

Former nuclear fusion startup founder here. I ended up evicted and living in my car after it didn't work out. But I still wish the current set of researchers all the luck in the world, because successful fusion power production could do so much for the world. So I'm really feeling this comment. I'm not sure if I ever want to get back up on that horse, and I'm uncertain if it's more because of the immense frustration of banging my head against the wall for years on end, or the pain from losing it all. That particular challenge (fusion) just feels too risky for me right now, and I don't know if that's going to change. One thing I see that is missing from the VC-funded startup world, is a good way for founders to share their risk. VCs do a great job of distributing the risk for investors among a bunch of startups, so not all the eggs are in one basket. However, for a founder all their eggs are in that one basket. I know that Founderpool is helping in this space, but they are fairly new and it remains to be seen whether their approach or a different approach will be successful. But I think that there is definitely a need there (as well as money to be made), and hopefully addressing that risk for founders would result in a more entrepreneurial society.

maverick-iceman 5y ago
Oh my gosh! Sorry if it seemed that I was speaking about you directly. I never thought fusion startup founders would hang out on HN! I've always imagined you guys would only interact in long email chains with .edu domains :) > But I still wish the current set of researchers all the luck in the world, because successful fusion power production could do so much for the world What about the contemporaries of those who succeed? Given the time slot in which you tried this might not apply to you anymore, because entrepreneurs like athletes need to be judged against their contemporaries, different eras don't matter. As I was saying, according to your judgement, if General Fusion were to succeed at some point in 2035+, what would be the impact on the Commonwealth Fusion guys? Do you think that the quality of life provided by fusion would still exceed the financial and morale blow of failure? I mean once a person sees their competitors succeed big (and the value of their own enterprise going to 0) does that entails a situation when said quality of life becomes "pushing on a string" and there's no return psychologically speaking? Even if it's something like fusion?
- FiatLuxDave 5y ago
  Hey, no need to apologize, you said nothing wrong. I'm not the only fusion founder who occasionally hangs out here. I know at least one other who comments occasionally. I tried to type up an answer to your questions, but apparently I still have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this that don't come out into text very easily, and I need to focus on my challenges of today rather than yesterday. So I'll just say that I hope that someone does succeed, and let the contemporaries of that time speak for themselves.

maverick-iceman 5y ago

Oh my gosh! Sorry if it seemed that I was speaking about you directly. I never thought fusion startup founders would hang out on HN! I've always imagined you guys would only interact in long email chains with .edu domains :) > But I still wish the current set of researchers all the luck in the world, because successful fusion power production could do so much for the world What about the contemporaries of those who succeed? Given the time slot in which you tried this might not apply to you anymore, because entrepreneurs like athletes need to be judged against their contemporaries, different eras don't matter. As I was saying, according to your judgement, if General Fusion were to succeed at some point in 2035+, what would be the impact on the Commonwealth Fusion guys? Do you think that the quality of life provided by fusion would still exceed the financial and morale blow of failure? I mean once a person sees their competitors succeed big (and the value of their own enterprise going to 0) does that entails a situation when said quality of life becomes "pushing on a string" and there's no return psychologically speaking? Even if it's something like fusion?

FiatLuxDave 5y ago
Hey, no need to apologize, you said nothing wrong. I'm not the only fusion founder who occasionally hangs out here. I know at least one other who comments occasionally. I tried to type up an answer to your questions, but apparently I still have a lot of thoughts and feelings about this that don't come out into text very easily, and I need to focus on my challenges of today rather than yesterday. So I'll just say that I hope that someone does succeed, and let the contemporaries of that time speak for themselves.