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I always wanted to own a business. So I thought I'd get a job at a big corp, see if I can learn how business works, save up some money, and then start a compan

I always wanted to own a business. So I thought I'd get a job at a big corp, see if I can learn how business works, save up some money, and then start a company. That's exactly what I did, but it was a big mistake. There's no better (other?) way to learn than to do. And you learn about a hundred times more and faster if it's your business versus a job, no matter how high-powered. I should've started before I even left high school and simply failed many times. All's well that ends well though!

funarchist 3y ago
I would be really happy if you elaborated on why you think that was a mistake. I am considering a similar road.
- bombcar 3y ago
  Usually it's because all the stuff you learned "on the job" isn't terribly useful to running a business, because tiny businesses and large companies operate so differently. This is not the case where the "job" is basically an apprenticeship, such as lawyer or plumber or what-have-you.
- FredPret 3y ago
  Turns out almost all jobs, with the possible exception of commission-only sales, are nothing like owning a business at all. For one thing, you're only covering a tiny part of the enterprise. Another issue is you have a performance safety net. Most people coast through life, which is OK, but that's not good enough for running a company. The most important problem though is that a job has a well-defined path, but in business you can never know what the "right" thing to do is until after you've done it and it either worked or didn't. Having a well-trod path you can follow is a million times easier than starting with nothing and making it all up as you go along. To quote King George 3 in Hamilton: "it's so much harder when it's all your call." I think the way to do it is to start a business, inevitably fail, and then just rinse and repeat until you finally figure it out. Easier said than done!
- vladms 3y ago
  Not the author, but in my experience at big(ish) corps: it will gather lots of people that want a safe job, people that want to do only one thing, or people that want predictability. None of these are bad things, just that they are different from startups. Also compared to a startup there are a lot of departments so you will probably need to do few things outside your job or even interact with people doing unrelated stuff to your job.
el_benhameen 3y ago
I’ve always felt like this is how I would best succeed, too, but only after the initial spark. I have business ideas, but I haven’t had the one that really feels like it could go somewhere. What was your process of “idea linting” like?
- FredPret 3y ago
  Step 0: see if you can get someone to pay you for the thing you want to sell. It's not so much about what you want to provide, but more about what the market wants to consume.

funarchist 3y ago

I would be really happy if you elaborated on why you think that was a mistake. I am considering a similar road.

bombcar 3y ago
Usually it's because all the stuff you learned "on the job" isn't terribly useful to running a business, because tiny businesses and large companies operate so differently. This is not the case where the "job" is basically an apprenticeship, such as lawyer or plumber or what-have-you.
FredPret 3y ago
Turns out almost all jobs, with the possible exception of commission-only sales, are nothing like owning a business at all. For one thing, you're only covering a tiny part of the enterprise. Another issue is you have a performance safety net. Most people coast through life, which is OK, but that's not good enough for running a company. The most important problem though is that a job has a well-defined path, but in business you can never know what the "right" thing to do is until after you've done it and it either worked or didn't. Having a well-trod path you can follow is a million times easier than starting with nothing and making it all up as you go along. To quote King George 3 in Hamilton: "it's so much harder when it's all your call." I think the way to do it is to start a business, inevitably fail, and then just rinse and repeat until you finally figure it out. Easier said than done!
vladms 3y ago
Not the author, but in my experience at big(ish) corps: it will gather lots of people that want a safe job, people that want to do only one thing, or people that want predictability. None of these are bad things, just that they are different from startups. Also compared to a startup there are a lot of departments so you will probably need to do few things outside your job or even interact with people doing unrelated stuff to your job.

el_benhameen 3y ago

I’ve always felt like this is how I would best succeed, too, but only after the initial spark. I have business ideas, but I haven’t had the one that really feels like it could go somewhere. What was your process of “idea linting” like?

FredPret 3y ago
Step 0: see if you can get someone to pay you for the thing you want to sell. It's not so much about what you want to provide, but more about what the market wants to consume.