4 ms·

I haven't worked for the corporate world since 2004. When I got back from a trip to Europe I realized I was working myself into the ground and decided to take t

I haven't worked for the corporate world since 2004. When I got back from a trip to Europe I realized I was working myself into the ground and decided to take the hit and start my own business. Now I set my own hours. I think that the time off from work during the pandemic is making others reconsider working for someone else. I laughed out loud when I read some corporate slave droning on about people don't want to work. Stop treating people like cogs in a wheel and create something that society values thats ethical. And maybe, just maybe, you will retain people who actually care about what you do.

fallingknife 4y ago
Well, it worked out for you, but starting your own business is usually exactly the wrong move for someone who doesn't want to work themself into the ground.
- trinsic2 4y ago
  I guess it would depend on the venture. Do something you love to do, and you never work a day in your life. It takes time and dedication, but I didn't work myself into the ground doing it. But I did have part time jobs when I was starting out. I think its something you create for yourself that grows over time, when you work at a job, you are enriching someone else's vision. That's ok if your visions are aligned, but if you are working at a job that doesn't align with your value system, there is only so much of that you can take.
  - fallingknife 4y ago
    This can certainly be true, but the catch is when you say I love to do x so I will start a business to do x, it's not so simple. You now have to do x + sales + customer service + management, etc. And while it is possible that you love to do all of those things, in the great majority of cases, you don't, and it will be a grind. That's not to say it's not worth it, though.
    - trinsic2 4y ago
      You wont know until you try. I found that doing something you love, you will try anything to make it happen. It starts out small and its not like it requires one to be solid in every area of the business right away like the areas you mentioned. Some times people want to compete against well established markets and that is a recepie for disaster. But again, it depends on the niche you have decided on. Also it takes time and people cut you slack if you are delivering value to them that's authentic. I found this source great for starting new business: https://fronterablog.com/ https://fronterablog.com/
jerf 4y ago
That's actually orthogonal to my point. Plenty of people have "lifestyle businesses", but if they generate true value, it's not a mystery as to where the money is coming from. Consult for 20 hours a week, just as an example, and I'm not even slightly mystified at how you can live on that income. I'm not advocating a suit-and-tie, 40hour/week desk job as the only alternative. Were I single I'd probably work half-time myself. I'm talking more about the Amazon drop-shipping businesses where "you can earn $5K/week!!1!" where if it's really that easy the market should already have been consumed, or even the ones you just plain can't figure out where the money is coming from. There's a lot of "businesses" that work in a 0% interest environment that won't work in a 5+% environment. If you've been doing it since 2004, you are almost certainly not in such a space because you started in a non-0% interest environment. I mean, basically, it's just like how the crypto business space is completely collapsing now. They are the first big things to topple over in a non-0%-environment. Smaller analogs to that can happen too, it just won't make the news that Joe-down-the-street's business of importing bulk cheap IP-pirated stuff from China and distributing it to local parents who want cheap Disney-branded stuff went out of business because it turns out that even though he didn't take loans himself, every other company involved in his business was offering subsidized, not-truly-sustainable prices because of the cheap money environment. (If you don't know, that's a real thing, not an outrageous fake example I'm making up. I have a particular acquaintance in mind who did that as a side hustle for a while.)
- trinsic2 4y ago
  Yea generating value is really important. I think that trying to make money with out creating some kind of value is a dead end in more ways than one.

fallingknife 4y ago

Well, it worked out for you, but starting your own business is usually exactly the wrong move for someone who doesn't want to work themself into the ground.

trinsic2 4y ago
I guess it would depend on the venture. Do something you love to do, and you never work a day in your life. It takes time and dedication, but I didn't work myself into the ground doing it. But I did have part time jobs when I was starting out. I think its something you create for yourself that grows over time, when you work at a job, you are enriching someone else's vision. That's ok if your visions are aligned, but if you are working at a job that doesn't align with your value system, there is only so much of that you can take.
- fallingknife 4y ago
  This can certainly be true, but the catch is when you say I love to do x so I will start a business to do x, it's not so simple. You now have to do x + sales + customer service + management, etc. And while it is possible that you love to do all of those things, in the great majority of cases, you don't, and it will be a grind. That's not to say it's not worth it, though.
  - trinsic2 4y ago
    You wont know until you try. I found that doing something you love, you will try anything to make it happen. It starts out small and its not like it requires one to be solid in every area of the business right away like the areas you mentioned. Some times people want to compete against well established markets and that is a recepie for disaster. But again, it depends on the niche you have decided on. Also it takes time and people cut you slack if you are delivering value to them that's authentic. I found this source great for starting new business: https://fronterablog.com/ https://fronterablog.com/

jerf 4y ago

That's actually orthogonal to my point. Plenty of people have "lifestyle businesses", but if they generate true value, it's not a mystery as to where the money is coming from. Consult for 20 hours a week, just as an example, and I'm not even slightly mystified at how you can live on that income. I'm not advocating a suit-and-tie, 40hour/week desk job as the only alternative. Were I single I'd probably work half-time myself. I'm talking more about the Amazon drop-shipping businesses where "you can earn $5K/week!!1!" where if it's really that easy the market should already have been consumed, or even the ones you just plain can't figure out where the money is coming from. There's a lot of "businesses" that work in a 0% interest environment that won't work in a 5+% environment. If you've been doing it since 2004, you are almost certainly not in such a space because you started in a non-0% interest environment. I mean, basically, it's just like how the crypto business space is completely collapsing now. They are the first big things to topple over in a non-0%-environment. Smaller analogs to that can happen too, it just won't make the news that Joe-down-the-street's business of importing bulk cheap IP-pirated stuff from China and distributing it to local parents who want cheap Disney-branded stuff went out of business because it turns out that even though he didn't take loans himself, every other company involved in his business was offering subsidized, not-truly-sustainable prices because of the cheap money environment. (If you don't know, that's a real thing, not an outrageous fake example I'm making up. I have a particular acquaintance in mind who did that as a side hustle for a while.)

trinsic2 4y ago
Yea generating value is really important. I think that trying to make money with out creating some kind of value is a dead end in more ways than one.