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> instead of learning how to start and run a business Because the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owne

> instead of learning how to start and run a business Because the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owner are insane compared to a regular 9-5. Especially if you start hiring other people, your liability then increases 10 fold as now anything can happen with them (sick leave, absenteism, low performance, sabotage, etc) but you're still bound to the same deadlines you agreed with your customers or you'll get sued for damages by them. As an employee you have some basic rights and protections from the state on the limits your employer can squeeze from you, more or less, depending on where you live. As a contractor or company however, you don't, and can be fully liable in court for your failures to deliver regardless of your personal circumstances. Unless you know what you're getting into and have the know-how, experience, or mentorship, it's not worth it in most cases.

keiferski 2y ago
I get that, but if you’re trying to get a job at one of the best paying companies in the world, is the stress level actually that different? And there are plenty of examples (search on HN for them) of people running one person internet businesses and making a healthy living.
- brigadier132 2y ago
  Im doing both and yes its very different. The stress at the big companies is nothing.
  - keiferski 2y ago
    Sure, I get that. But are the people trying to maximize income as an employee really looking for the low stress route in the first place? I suppose I should have qualified my comment by saying it's if your primary aim is to maximize income.
    - filoleg 2y ago
      My primary goal is to maximize my income with the least amount of stress possible, and FAANG hits that spot just right. I guess you can say I could maximize further by switching to finance or starting my own business, but the amount of extra stress is just not worth it at the moment, personally.
    - The_Colonel 2y ago
      Stress level has very unclear correlation with compensation. My very personal experience was that higher the compensation, less stressful the job was.
      - dontlikeyoueith 2y ago
        At my compensation my only stress is what happens if I get laid off and can't find new work in this market.
    - jinushaun 2y ago
      > I get that... > Sure, I get that... Doesn't sound like you get it. You ask why people have an aversion to starting their own business and people are giving you reasons that you don't want to accept. I've done both. Working FAANG is way easier than running your own business. Orders of magnitude less stress. That's why some people can "rest and vest" at FAANG.
- Rinzler89 2y ago
  > is the stress level actually that different? Your liability is. Worst case scenario is you don't get hired, or you get hired, and then get fired. That the worst that can happen. FAANG isn't gonna come after you for damages if you accidentally brick something in production or are just lazy and incompetent. As a business, your customers might. Let's watch how the Crowdstrike scenario unfolds in the coming months, when they'll probably get lawsuits up the ass for the damages they caused. Get your popcorn ready. >And there are plenty of examples (search on HN for them) of people running one person internet businesses and making a healthy living. Sure, but not everyone can get there, the same how not everyone can become a successful football player despite so many successful examples. There's too many variables. Usually, the right connections are your most valuable asset as one man company, and not everyone has them.
  - keiferski 2y ago
    Crowdstrike is essentially on the level of a FAANG, so I don't think this is remotely comparable to the type of business I mentioned. The likelihood of a one-person SAAS getting sued into oblivion is pretty low, especially if you aren't providing something as fundamental as security services to banks and airlines.
  - arrosenberg 2y ago
    If you are a tiny business, you just need an indemnity clause. If you have employees, you pay for E&O insurance. Im not saying any of this is obvious, but if you are applying to work at a FAANG, I will assume you are both smart enough and ambitious enough to do a bit of research.
    - ghaff 2y ago
      It's totally understandable if you don't want to sell/market your business or you just don't want the unpredictability which is probably greater than with a larger company. But, oh no, I might be sued should almost certainly not be a major consideration relative to other factors.
    - FooBarWidget 2y ago
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- woobar 2y ago
  It is not about stress. You are asking to pick between a) do same job at a different company for 2-3x income, or b) learn to do something different for a chance of smaller/same/or bigger income than in the previous case. First option requires passing somewhat stressful interviews and then it is all familiar territory. Second option has more unknowns.
  - madamelic 2y ago
    > First option requires passing somewhat stressful interviews and then it is all familiar territory. Second option has more unknowns. The most you'll ever make at a job is based on one conversation you had months or even years ago. Your income will only ever increase at steps every 6 - 12 months and, in the best case, linearly and in the worst case never increasing beyond inflation. With a business, yes your income may be stagnant or slower, but your income isn't capped, can change rapidly, and can change on a dime rather than waiting on the next review cycle or whatever. If you have the stomach for it, a business will long-term always give better returns for your work than a job.
- financetechbro 2y ago
  Remind me the % of startups that fail pls
- Noneofya 2y ago
  There are not so plenty examples of one person businesses making that one person rich.
stonethrowaway 2y ago
> Because the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owner are insane compared to a regular 9-5. Believe it or not you get over this. It’s kind of like the fear of going up on stage to give a presentation. Some people get an addictive rush, these are usually serial entrepreneurs who just love to be in charge because they have no problems with risk/stress tolerance (mostly). You get better at handling the stress as you get more comfortable with where your business lies and what value you offer, et cetera. Hiring/firing is hard for people but you have no choice and certainly you’re not beholden to give people jobs. People are there to work, do their best at the moment, your job is to ensure them they’re looked after adequately and your door is always open to them if they have to talk to you. Everyone should attempt to start a small business or a side consulting gig. Failing that, you should strive to make it to VP-suite of your company where in most cases you’ll be tasked with running an arm of the business - the risks are there but it’s more of a simulated environment as well. The CEO will shit test you in almost everything you do and say and this is the grilling you will need, because they expect you to be capable of running things in their stead.
- wepple 2y ago
  > Everyone should attempt to start a small business or a side consulting gig. Failing that, you should strive to make it to VP-suite Utter horse shit. I want to earn enough to live without too many worries, and spend time with friends and family. Being able to leave at 5 is irreplaceable
  - riehwvfbk 2y ago
    I don't think there are many places in tech where an employee can leave at 5 and expect to keep their job.
    - wepple 2y ago
      I politely disagree. If you think “hours spent at desk” correlates with performance, I don’t really know what to tell you. I do work late, and over my career have absolutely pulled all nighters and weekends and been on the redeye, but that’s when I stretch or flex, and it’s simply not sustainable.
gmadsen 2y ago
isnt this the purpose of LLCs?
- robotcookies 2y ago
  LLCs limit your financial liability, but you can still work thousands of hours on a business and end up making nothing. If you work the same thousands of hours as an employee, you will make money.
- redler 2y ago
  When you start up a business from scratch you quickly become familiar with bank requirements for a personal guarantee. The LLC will not protect you from personal financial exposure in the full amount of all your business credit facilities, loans, leases, etc.
richardreeze 2y ago
> the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owner are insane compared to a regular 9-5. Precisely. Add to that that as a regular 9-5 worker you have one role. As a solo business owner you have several roles (engineer, marketer, customer service, designer, etc...).
sarimkx 2y ago
This. Working for a big company in the US is massively underrated. Over time, most people working in these companies will be much better off financially and with less stress/health issues. The silicon valley/tech bubble over-romanticizes entrepreneurship without realizing its NOT for everyone. For every 1 success story you hear about entrepreneurship, there are 50-100 that fail. The stress and anxiety is not something everyone can or should take if they have the opportunity to coast at FAANG and make $500K+. How many businesses make $500K in revenue in the US? Not many? [1] I am paraphrasing here, but I really agree with how Scott Galloway put it: The US corporation is the greatest wealth creating vehicle in history. Way safer and easier to build wealth working at Google. Giving "StArt a BusZineaSs BRO" as a blanket advice is very disingenuous. [1] In 2018, 9% of small businesses made more than $1 million. https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/small-business-statistics/ https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/small-business... Note: Many statistics online say the number is actually fewer than 5%!
- sarimkx 2y ago
  https://jmduke.com/posts/essays/two-years/ https://jmduke.com/posts/essays/two-years/ Guy running an email SaaS clearly says working full time would make him more money.

keiferski 2y ago

I get that, but if you’re trying to get a job at one of the best paying companies in the world, is the stress level actually that different? And there are plenty of examples (search on HN for them) of people running one person internet businesses and making a healthy living.

brigadier132 2y ago
Im doing both and yes its very different. The stress at the big companies is nothing.
- keiferski 2y ago
  Sure, I get that. But are the people trying to maximize income as an employee really looking for the low stress route in the first place? I suppose I should have qualified my comment by saying it's if your primary aim is to maximize income.
  - filoleg 2y ago
    My primary goal is to maximize my income with the least amount of stress possible, and FAANG hits that spot just right. I guess you can say I could maximize further by switching to finance or starting my own business, but the amount of extra stress is just not worth it at the moment, personally.
  - The_Colonel 2y ago
    Stress level has very unclear correlation with compensation. My very personal experience was that higher the compensation, less stressful the job was.
    - dontlikeyoueith 2y ago
      At my compensation my only stress is what happens if I get laid off and can't find new work in this market.
  - jinushaun 2y ago
    > I get that... > Sure, I get that... Doesn't sound like you get it. You ask why people have an aversion to starting their own business and people are giving you reasons that you don't want to accept. I've done both. Working FAANG is way easier than running your own business. Orders of magnitude less stress. That's why some people can "rest and vest" at FAANG.
Rinzler89 2y ago
> is the stress level actually that different? Your liability is. Worst case scenario is you don't get hired, or you get hired, and then get fired. That the worst that can happen. FAANG isn't gonna come after you for damages if you accidentally brick something in production or are just lazy and incompetent. As a business, your customers might. Let's watch how the Crowdstrike scenario unfolds in the coming months, when they'll probably get lawsuits up the ass for the damages they caused. Get your popcorn ready. >And there are plenty of examples (search on HN for them) of people running one person internet businesses and making a healthy living. Sure, but not everyone can get there, the same how not everyone can become a successful football player despite so many successful examples. There's too many variables. Usually, the right connections are your most valuable asset as one man company, and not everyone has them.
- keiferski 2y ago
  Crowdstrike is essentially on the level of a FAANG, so I don't think this is remotely comparable to the type of business I mentioned. The likelihood of a one-person SAAS getting sued into oblivion is pretty low, especially if you aren't providing something as fundamental as security services to banks and airlines.
- arrosenberg 2y ago
  If you are a tiny business, you just need an indemnity clause. If you have employees, you pay for E&O insurance. Im not saying any of this is obvious, but if you are applying to work at a FAANG, I will assume you are both smart enough and ambitious enough to do a bit of research.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    It's totally understandable if you don't want to sell/market your business or you just don't want the unpredictability which is probably greater than with a larger company. But, oh no, I might be sued should almost certainly not be a major consideration relative to other factors.
  - FooBarWidget 2y ago
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
woobar 2y ago
It is not about stress. You are asking to pick between a) do same job at a different company for 2-3x income, or b) learn to do something different for a chance of smaller/same/or bigger income than in the previous case. First option requires passing somewhat stressful interviews and then it is all familiar territory. Second option has more unknowns.
- madamelic 2y ago
  > First option requires passing somewhat stressful interviews and then it is all familiar territory. Second option has more unknowns. The most you'll ever make at a job is based on one conversation you had months or even years ago. Your income will only ever increase at steps every 6 - 12 months and, in the best case, linearly and in the worst case never increasing beyond inflation. With a business, yes your income may be stagnant or slower, but your income isn't capped, can change rapidly, and can change on a dime rather than waiting on the next review cycle or whatever. If you have the stomach for it, a business will long-term always give better returns for your work than a job.
financetechbro 2y ago
Remind me the % of startups that fail pls
Noneofya 2y ago
There are not so plenty examples of one person businesses making that one person rich.

stonethrowaway 2y ago

> Because the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owner are insane compared to a regular 9-5. Believe it or not you get over this. It’s kind of like the fear of going up on stage to give a presentation. Some people get an addictive rush, these are usually serial entrepreneurs who just love to be in charge because they have no problems with risk/stress tolerance (mostly). You get better at handling the stress as you get more comfortable with where your business lies and what value you offer, et cetera. Hiring/firing is hard for people but you have no choice and certainly you’re not beholden to give people jobs. People are there to work, do their best at the moment, your job is to ensure them they’re looked after adequately and your door is always open to them if they have to talk to you. Everyone should attempt to start a small business or a side consulting gig. Failing that, you should strive to make it to VP-suite of your company where in most cases you’ll be tasked with running an arm of the business - the risks are there but it’s more of a simulated environment as well. The CEO will shit test you in almost everything you do and say and this is the grilling you will need, because they expect you to be capable of running things in their stead.

wepple 2y ago
> Everyone should attempt to start a small business or a side consulting gig. Failing that, you should strive to make it to VP-suite Utter horse shit. I want to earn enough to live without too many worries, and spend time with friends and family. Being able to leave at 5 is irreplaceable
- riehwvfbk 2y ago
  I don't think there are many places in tech where an employee can leave at 5 and expect to keep their job.
  - wepple 2y ago
    I politely disagree. If you think “hours spent at desk” correlates with performance, I don’t really know what to tell you. I do work late, and over my career have absolutely pulled all nighters and weekends and been on the redeye, but that’s when I stretch or flex, and it’s simply not sustainable.

gmadsen 2y ago

isnt this the purpose of LLCs?

robotcookies 2y ago
LLCs limit your financial liability, but you can still work thousands of hours on a business and end up making nothing. If you work the same thousands of hours as an employee, you will make money.
redler 2y ago
When you start up a business from scratch you quickly become familiar with bank requirements for a personal guarantee. The LLC will not protect you from personal financial exposure in the full amount of all your business credit facilities, loans, leases, etc.

richardreeze 2y ago

> the stress and risks of running a small business as a solo inexperienced first time business owner are insane compared to a regular 9-5. Precisely. Add to that that as a regular 9-5 worker you have one role. As a solo business owner you have several roles (engineer, marketer, customer service, designer, etc...).

sarimkx 2y ago

This. Working for a big company in the US is massively underrated. Over time, most people working in these companies will be much better off financially and with less stress/health issues. The silicon valley/tech bubble over-romanticizes entrepreneurship without realizing its NOT for everyone. For every 1 success story you hear about entrepreneurship, there are 50-100 that fail. The stress and anxiety is not something everyone can or should take if they have the opportunity to coast at FAANG and make $500K+. How many businesses make $500K in revenue in the US? Not many? [1] I am paraphrasing here, but I really agree with how Scott Galloway put it: The US corporation is the greatest wealth creating vehicle in history. Way safer and easier to build wealth working at Google. Giving "StArt a BusZineaSs BRO" as a blanket advice is very disingenuous. [1] In 2018, 9% of small businesses made more than $1 million. https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/small-business-statistics/ https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/small-business... Note: Many statistics online say the number is actually fewer than 5%!

sarimkx 2y ago
https://jmduke.com/posts/essays/two-years/ https://jmduke.com/posts/essays/two-years/ Guy running an email SaaS clearly says working full time would make him more money.