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Starting a successful company is not an essentially impossible pipe dream. There are literally millions of businesses in the US that are generating millions in

Starting a successful company is not an essentially impossible pipe dream. There are literally millions of businesses in the US that are generating millions in revenue. Sure, they aren't all mega behemoth tech companies, but what of it? Setting your ambitions high when you're young is still worth it. It can be a major difference maker in motivating you to learn the skills necessary to build a successful business, and it turns out that those same skills are helpful for landing good jobs, too. Most of the people I know who are doing well now dreamed relatively big when they were young. And many of the people I know who stress about making ends meet never had anyone telling them to aim high when they were young. If you believe you can, you might try, and you might make it. If you believe you can't, it's madness to true, so you won't try, and you won't make it. These are basic building blocks of motivation and success. Your pessimistic message could be applied to anything. Why try to build the next Google? It's impossible! Why try to build a smaller business? The odds are against you! Why try to get a high-paying job? Most people work average jobs! Why go for an average job? You're competing with the vast majority of the country! Why get a less-than-average job? It's so stressful and barely worth it.

PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago
> If you believe you can, you might try, and you might make it. The statistics are pretty clear that you almost certainly will not. So by all means give it a shot if you can do so without screwing your chance at whatever you'll do if/when it fails. People deserve dignity and meaning no matter what work they do. This should not be reserved to the folks who manage to start unicorns (let alone Googles).
- csallen 3y ago
  "Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." This is an area where I think this quote applies. Don't reach Google status and build the next $1T company? Okay, maybe you'll make a unicorn. Don't make a unicorn? Maybe you'll start a $100M company. Or a $10M company. Or a $1M company. Or hell, a $100k company is a hell of an achievement. And if you fail to do that? Well congratulations, you're eminently employable. Because on your way to "failure," you likely taught yourself a lot about code/tech, work either, managing people, raising money, marketing, and business, to say nothing of the professional contacts you made along the way. I haven't met founders who feel that by starting and failing companies they have "screwed their chance" at something, at least not in a professional capacity. One caveat (and it's a big one) is people going all in* on startups in their 20s, neglecting their health and relationships.

PaulDavisThe1st 3y ago

> If you believe you can, you might try, and you might make it. The statistics are pretty clear that you almost certainly will not. So by all means give it a shot if you can do so without screwing your chance at whatever you'll do if/when it fails. People deserve dignity and meaning no matter what work they do. This should not be reserved to the folks who manage to start unicorns (let alone Googles).

csallen 3y ago
"Aim for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." This is an area where I think this quote applies. Don't reach Google status and build the next $1T company? Okay, maybe you'll make a unicorn. Don't make a unicorn? Maybe you'll start a $100M company. Or a $10M company. Or a $1M company. Or hell, a $100k company is a hell of an achievement. And if you fail to do that? Well congratulations, you're eminently employable. Because on your way to "failure," you likely taught yourself a lot about code/tech, work either, managing people, raising money, marketing, and business, to say nothing of the professional contacts you made along the way. I haven't met founders who feel that by starting and failing companies they have "screwed their chance" at something, at least not in a professional capacity. One caveat (and it's a big one) is people going all in* on startups in their 20s, neglecting their health and relationships.