4 ms·

Two words: survivor bias.

xmprt 4y ago
That's one way to put it. Another way is to say that you had a good enough execution to stand out from the crowd of all the other failed startups and the people criticizing your idea didn't have the same vision as you. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.
katzgrau 4y ago
Survivor here, with several failed startups in the past. Bootstrapped to 100k / mo over 10 years. Sufficiently cynical folks will never hear anything I say as anything other survivor bias. My only advice is stay bootstrapped, avoid company-ending risk like investment, and maintain control of the company. Through learning and persistence, you'll figure out how to grow it. Just remember that the survivors figured out two things: how not to die (much easier for the Bootstrapped), and how to adapt to changing conditions.
- scubakid 4y ago
  "not dying" is surprisingly underrated these days :D
jokoon 4y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659076 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659076 Copy pasted: Entrepreneurship is like one of those carnival games where you throw darts or something. Middle class kids can afford one throw. Most miss. A few hit the target and get a small prize. A very few hit the center bullseye and get a bigger prize. Rags to riches! The American Dream lives on. Rich kids can afford many throws. If they want to, they can try over and over and over again until they hit something and feel good about themselves. Some keep going until they hit the center bullseye, then they give speeches or write blog posts about "meritocracy" and the salutary effects of hard work. Poor kids aren't visiting the carnival. They're the ones working it.
- robertlagrant 4y ago
  Don't be silly. Any self-employed plumber is an entrepreneur. Some of them (many of them) didn't have the cash to get a degree or the college experience, but their job is highly entrepreneurial.
robertlagrant 4y ago
> Two words: survivor bias. Pfft. You're only saying this because you're alive. I want to hear from dead people.

That's one way to put it. Another way is to say that you had a good enough execution to stand out from the crowd of all the other failed startups and the people criticizing your idea didn't have the same vision as you. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.

katzgrau 4y ago

Survivor here, with several failed startups in the past. Bootstrapped to 100k / mo over 10 years. Sufficiently cynical folks will never hear anything I say as anything other survivor bias. My only advice is stay bootstrapped, avoid company-ending risk like investment, and maintain control of the company. Through learning and persistence, you'll figure out how to grow it. Just remember that the survivors figured out two things: how not to die (much easier for the Bootstrapped), and how to adapt to changing conditions.

scubakid 4y ago
"not dying" is surprisingly underrated these days :D

jokoon 4y ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659076 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659076 Copy pasted: Entrepreneurship is like one of those carnival games where you throw darts or something. Middle class kids can afford one throw. Most miss. A few hit the target and get a small prize. A very few hit the center bullseye and get a bigger prize. Rags to riches! The American Dream lives on. Rich kids can afford many throws. If they want to, they can try over and over and over again until they hit something and feel good about themselves. Some keep going until they hit the center bullseye, then they give speeches or write blog posts about "meritocracy" and the salutary effects of hard work. Poor kids aren't visiting the carnival. They're the ones working it.

robertlagrant 4y ago
Don't be silly. Any self-employed plumber is an entrepreneur. Some of them (many of them) didn't have the cash to get a degree or the college experience, but their job is highly entrepreneurial.

robertlagrant 4y ago

> Two words: survivor bias. Pfft. You're only saying this because you're alive. I want to hear from dead people.