3 ms·

Sounds like you have a phenomenal opportunity that you're wasting. A friend, proven founder AND investor has hired you personally to implement at least one of

Sounds like you have a phenomenal opportunity that you're wasting. A friend, proven founder AND investor has hired you personally to implement at least one of many ideas he has. I'm going to assume given the track record, these ideas are actually good with market demand. This is a rare find. Most idea people are 'wantrepreneurs', but here you have the real deal. And yet you put him on mute, characterize your job as stroking his ego, and ask him for a job (I thought working with him was your job?) If you can manage and redirect his manic energy, prioritize the many ideas, and commit to building out a single one in the next 6 months, you're in the rare position of potentially becoming a co-founder of a company that won't have any problems fundraising.

muskox_throaway 4y ago
When I started this relationship I thought exactly as you did. How lucky am I? But instead we’re just spinning our wheels on things like creating the perfectly scalable database design before talking to a single customer. I too thought I was collaborating with someone with a great track record. But he doesn’t care about any of my ideas or contributions. He’s not a bad person. It’s all noise to him because the sound of his own ideas is so much louder in his brain. Even if I implement one of his ideas, overnight, he’s not interested. Once, I put my foot down and said we have to ship something and he was taken aback. For a few minutes. Then he rolled right back into his usual mode of ideation. I understand why this story might seem really frustrating to hear and you wonder why I can’t make it work. I’ve been asking myself the same questions. In the end the economic balance may be too tilted in his favor for it to be a productive collaboration. This is a hobby for him and a lifeline for me. He‘a shooting for something that gets him into a different comma club, and gains the respect of people even richer than he is. So for him, any amount of preplanning is justifiable. I’d be happy with something that just had customers. If we were economic equals I could credibly threaten to walk away if we don’t do at least some of the things my way. But I can’t.
- DevX101 4y ago
  Working for this guy sounds like it's 50% managing his executive function, 50% doing the work. It's not for everybody. Some of Musk's colleagues have mentioned their job is something like this. But it's also paid off extremely well for them. Up to you to decide whether you can pull off both of these jobs. On the show 'Billions', Bobby Axelrod, the hedge fund founder has a right hand woman, Wendy Rhoades[1] who keeps him grounded and channels the mania into productive output. Sounds like your friends needs someone like her. 1. https://billions.fandom.com/wiki/Wendy_Rhoades https://billions.fandom.com/wiki/Wendy_Rhoades
  - muskox_throaway 4y ago
    That’s an interesting insight. Maybe the biggest problem for me is that this relationship is crushing my ego, as a builder and creative person. There really isn’t any room for what I consider my strengths. I could redefine my life to be the person who is the truth-teller to a difficult person with a good heart and lots of resources. It’s not what I wanted to do with my life though.

muskox_throaway 4y ago

When I started this relationship I thought exactly as you did. How lucky am I? But instead we’re just spinning our wheels on things like creating the perfectly scalable database design before talking to a single customer. I too thought I was collaborating with someone with a great track record. But he doesn’t care about any of my ideas or contributions. He’s not a bad person. It’s all noise to him because the sound of his own ideas is so much louder in his brain. Even if I implement one of his ideas, overnight, he’s not interested. Once, I put my foot down and said we have to ship something and he was taken aback. For a few minutes. Then he rolled right back into his usual mode of ideation. I understand why this story might seem really frustrating to hear and you wonder why I can’t make it work. I’ve been asking myself the same questions. In the end the economic balance may be too tilted in his favor for it to be a productive collaboration. This is a hobby for him and a lifeline for me. He‘a shooting for something that gets him into a different comma club, and gains the respect of people even richer than he is. So for him, any amount of preplanning is justifiable. I’d be happy with something that just had customers. If we were economic equals I could credibly threaten to walk away if we don’t do at least some of the things my way. But I can’t.

DevX101 4y ago
Working for this guy sounds like it's 50% managing his executive function, 50% doing the work. It's not for everybody. Some of Musk's colleagues have mentioned their job is something like this. But it's also paid off extremely well for them. Up to you to decide whether you can pull off both of these jobs. On the show 'Billions', Bobby Axelrod, the hedge fund founder has a right hand woman, Wendy Rhoades[1] who keeps him grounded and channels the mania into productive output. Sounds like your friends needs someone like her. 1. https://billions.fandom.com/wiki/Wendy_Rhoades https://billions.fandom.com/wiki/Wendy_Rhoades
- muskox_throaway 4y ago
  That’s an interesting insight. Maybe the biggest problem for me is that this relationship is crushing my ego, as a builder and creative person. There really isn’t any room for what I consider my strengths. I could redefine my life to be the person who is the truth-teller to a difficult person with a good heart and lots of resources. It’s not what I wanted to do with my life though.