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"Magical information and assistance like this just doesn't seem to exist." Agreed, but that's why the majority of the world ends up living life as a cog. None

"Magical information and assistance like this just doesn't seem to exist." Agreed, but that's why the majority of the world ends up living life as a cog. None of this shit is easy, and no one is going to handhold you through the process. If that's your expectation, you're simply not cut out for this. But... you did mention a Steve Blank book, which makes me think all hope is not lost :) I'd recommend: 1. Read "The startup owners manual" by Steve Blank, or at least skim the parts that seem interesting to you 2. Learn to follow the pomodoro technique religiously. This changed my "get shit done" ability dramatically -- sounds like that may be a hump you're having some trouble getting over. In detail to 2, the thing I love most about the pomodoro technique is that it forces you to break down a task to <25 mins. Let's take one of your points: "3. Tell me whether I really need an LLC or just business insurance. Tell me the laws for doing business in my state, in my country, with other states, with other countries. Do I need a VAT id? What is the difference between a quote and contract of work that I'd need to do business with the U.S. government vs. a small company in Germany vs. a small company in Australia? All of these details, but in a really friendly language." You're never going to figure that out on your own if that's the approach. That's a BIG, complicated question with a lot of factors to consider. Either you have the money to pay someone to figure it out for you, or break down something you can actually go do your research about. Assume, test, analyze, grind, repeat.

Volpe 14y ago
I like your response and tone. And the article. But: > Agreed, but that's why the majority of the world ends up living life as a cog. This to me, amounts to: You are a failure (cog) if you don't do your own thing and "follow your dreams". I don't agree with anything in that statement. I would ask readers to really think about why "following dreams" is important. Is it related to happiness? What if skills and dreams are completely out of reach from each other? Is it really just going to set someone up for failure/depression etc. As I say, I like the sentiment, but feel there is little analysis to the thought.
- vlokshin 14y ago
  You're right, and it should be just "follow your dreams". Doing your own thing has a lot less to do with it, and just happens to be a part of my dream. Also, I'm not exactly "doing my own thing" -- I'm simply getting to work with a team that's a lot better at making our collective "dreams" a reality as compared to our respective previous situations. Sorry for the 1-sidedness -- and you're right about there not being much analysis to the thought. This was a more personal, than logical, post so please take it as only such.
- hakaaaaak 14y ago
  > What if skills and dreams are completely out of reach from each other? That is right on. Every time I list the things that are important to me that I love and/or would love to do they don't match up with my skills or they won't make me any money, with the exception of the generic "start your own business", so I'm doing what I don't really like all that much to be able to have a business, which I do love. It probably isn't a terribly great idea. But, I'm excited.
- Wista 14y ago
  Depends on your "governing values" (Covey), You are a cog, but your values lie with Family, then cog is a means to end not an end in itself?
hakaaaaak 14y ago
Thanks for the advice! > If that's your expectation, you're simply not cut out for this. I'm identifying a need. I know plenty of people like myself. The problem is not motivation. The problem is that by the time that most of us are old enough to recognize that we could do it on our own, we're also smart enough to realize that even if we knew all of the rules, the chances are 100% that our family has to sacrifice and chances are even with all of the knowledge, failure is frequent. I want to minimize failure. I would pay someone to have this info. Something focused on selling support for previously free open-source products with established international customer base, and converting from 6 figure salary with great benefits to working from home at same salary within a year at most. I'm the only wage earner and we have bills to pay. I'm not being a wuss. It is just something I want to do, but have no idea how to pull off. Many would say either "don't do it" or "start slow and see how it goes". I'm trying the latter right now, but I still have no fucking clue how to handle the practical stuff. I need to know the applicable laws, have the connections, and I'm not attractive to VC's or angels at all in my own estimate.
- vlokshin 14y ago
  A lot of solutions simply mean breaking down a problem into further derivates than you think. "becoming attractive to VC's" wouldn't be a solution, there are about 100 details you'd have to get right first. Brainstorm those details and focus on them, instead of the goal that ends up being a summary of those details :)
avenger123 14y ago
"None of this shit is easy, and no one is going to handhold you through the process." Thanks for giving the straight up answer on this. We all love to read about the people doing it but the reality is that the time and effort that is really involved is just tremendous. I am reminded of the story of a person asking a famous piano player that they would really like to play like them. The answer that was given to the person was - "No you don't. You don't want to be sitting in front of a piano for 4 hours every day for years, practicing and practicing. You say you want to play like me but you can't/won't put in the time to get to my level of skill." We all like to read about starting a company but at the end of the day, no one but you is going to get you out of that couch. Especially this notion of "I don't have a an idea". There's a simple answer to that. Make that your intention, make it your job to get an idea. I love James Altucher's daily practice : http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/02/how-to-be-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet-in-4-easy-steps/ http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/02/how-to-be-the-luckiest-... Just spend time every morning coming up with ideas. Heck there's going to be hundreds of shitty ideas coming out but at some point there might be something akin to nugget of gold in there. Even with that nugget, not much will come of it, if its not cleaned, processed and made something of it. It's the same with the idea, go ahead and apply Steve Blank's methodology on it. Maybe in a span of one or two years, you went through a handful of junky ideas that didn't turn into anything (and hopefully not much was lost - especially if you followed Steve's approach) but perhaps you might have enough of a business to work for yourself and have a couple of employees. Now, does this mean that if you follow this approach, you will succeed? Who knows. That's the beauty of it, the journey is the fun part. If you've done it right, you might succeed gloriously (but please, don't think you can be the next Dropbox, Groupon, etc. bringing home 200-500K net income from your business for yourself is a very comfortable lifestyle). Just don't fail gloriously. Baby steps, until you know that the big step you want to take (such as quitting your full time gig) will have a good outcome.
- hakaaaaak 14y ago
  All good stuff to know. Thanks! > Especially this notion of "I don't have a an idea". There's a simple answer to that. Make that your intention, make it your job to get an idea. Yeah, I've tried that. I've read "48 days" and got stuck at the point it says "what do you want to do". I emailed them and told them this. They tried to help. It didn't (at all). Basically, I want my own business. I want to work from home or somewhere where I control my environment and location. But the main thing is that I love is my family. I will continue to do the shit I am tired of doing (tired of it since 2003) because it continues to pay the bills. I've wanted to be running my own "shop" since ~2007. I've read lots. I've listened to lots. And I just keep getting older and dumner. So now I've actually started to do more than just buy a domain and sit on it or talk about doing things. I've started, but I'm not totally in love with it. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up, because when I list those things, it sounds like an uber rich kid philanthropist, not someone who is service-oriented. When I think about the things that I would most love to do in terms of work, it would be helping others and feeling competent and helpful in my own business. That's all I know. That's not enough. So "figure it out" doesn't help me anymore than a shot in the leg helps someone to be motivated to run. But, I'm trying. I have something going. And it's the first time I've been excited about work in a while. BTW- that link you posted is awesome, but here is a tough quote from it: "But I don’t get close to anyone bringing me down. This rule can’t be broken. Energy leaks out of you if someone is draining you. And I never owe anyone an explanation. Explaining is draining." That is both true, close to home, and also sounds so selfish. I think you need to be there for your friends- your real friends at least- and family like he said, and that can really mean that you get drug down. By the same token, I drag them down. I think this quote is about 50% right then, but the rest of that post is right on.

Volpe 14y ago

I like your response and tone. And the article. But: > Agreed, but that's why the majority of the world ends up living life as a cog. This to me, amounts to: You are a failure (cog) if you don't do your own thing and "follow your dreams". I don't agree with anything in that statement. I would ask readers to really think about why "following dreams" is important. Is it related to happiness? What if skills and dreams are completely out of reach from each other? Is it really just going to set someone up for failure/depression etc. As I say, I like the sentiment, but feel there is little analysis to the thought.

vlokshin 14y ago
You're right, and it should be just "follow your dreams". Doing your own thing has a lot less to do with it, and just happens to be a part of my dream. Also, I'm not exactly "doing my own thing" -- I'm simply getting to work with a team that's a lot better at making our collective "dreams" a reality as compared to our respective previous situations. Sorry for the 1-sidedness -- and you're right about there not being much analysis to the thought. This was a more personal, than logical, post so please take it as only such.
hakaaaaak 14y ago
> What if skills and dreams are completely out of reach from each other? That is right on. Every time I list the things that are important to me that I love and/or would love to do they don't match up with my skills or they won't make me any money, with the exception of the generic "start your own business", so I'm doing what I don't really like all that much to be able to have a business, which I do love. It probably isn't a terribly great idea. But, I'm excited.
Wista 14y ago
Depends on your "governing values" (Covey), You are a cog, but your values lie with Family, then cog is a means to end not an end in itself?

hakaaaaak 14y ago

Thanks for the advice! > If that's your expectation, you're simply not cut out for this. I'm identifying a need. I know plenty of people like myself. The problem is not motivation. The problem is that by the time that most of us are old enough to recognize that we could do it on our own, we're also smart enough to realize that even if we knew all of the rules, the chances are 100% that our family has to sacrifice and chances are even with all of the knowledge, failure is frequent. I want to minimize failure. I would pay someone to have this info. Something focused on selling support for previously free open-source products with established international customer base, and converting from 6 figure salary with great benefits to working from home at same salary within a year at most. I'm the only wage earner and we have bills to pay. I'm not being a wuss. It is just something I want to do, but have no idea how to pull off. Many would say either "don't do it" or "start slow and see how it goes". I'm trying the latter right now, but I still have no fucking clue how to handle the practical stuff. I need to know the applicable laws, have the connections, and I'm not attractive to VC's or angels at all in my own estimate.

vlokshin 14y ago
A lot of solutions simply mean breaking down a problem into further derivates than you think. "becoming attractive to VC's" wouldn't be a solution, there are about 100 details you'd have to get right first. Brainstorm those details and focus on them, instead of the goal that ends up being a summary of those details :)

avenger123 14y ago

"None of this shit is easy, and no one is going to handhold you through the process." Thanks for giving the straight up answer on this. We all love to read about the people doing it but the reality is that the time and effort that is really involved is just tremendous. I am reminded of the story of a person asking a famous piano player that they would really like to play like them. The answer that was given to the person was - "No you don't. You don't want to be sitting in front of a piano for 4 hours every day for years, practicing and practicing. You say you want to play like me but you can't/won't put in the time to get to my level of skill." We all like to read about starting a company but at the end of the day, no one but you is going to get you out of that couch. Especially this notion of "I don't have a an idea". There's a simple answer to that. Make that your intention, make it your job to get an idea. I love James Altucher's daily practice : http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/02/how-to-be-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet-in-4-easy-steps/ http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/02/how-to-be-the-luckiest-... Just spend time every morning coming up with ideas. Heck there's going to be hundreds of shitty ideas coming out but at some point there might be something akin to nugget of gold in there. Even with that nugget, not much will come of it, if its not cleaned, processed and made something of it. It's the same with the idea, go ahead and apply Steve Blank's methodology on it. Maybe in a span of one or two years, you went through a handful of junky ideas that didn't turn into anything (and hopefully not much was lost - especially if you followed Steve's approach) but perhaps you might have enough of a business to work for yourself and have a couple of employees. Now, does this mean that if you follow this approach, you will succeed? Who knows. That's the beauty of it, the journey is the fun part. If you've done it right, you might succeed gloriously (but please, don't think you can be the next Dropbox, Groupon, etc. bringing home 200-500K net income from your business for yourself is a very comfortable lifestyle). Just don't fail gloriously. Baby steps, until you know that the big step you want to take (such as quitting your full time gig) will have a good outcome.

hakaaaaak 14y ago
All good stuff to know. Thanks! > Especially this notion of "I don't have a an idea". There's a simple answer to that. Make that your intention, make it your job to get an idea. Yeah, I've tried that. I've read "48 days" and got stuck at the point it says "what do you want to do". I emailed them and told them this. They tried to help. It didn't (at all). Basically, I want my own business. I want to work from home or somewhere where I control my environment and location. But the main thing is that I love is my family. I will continue to do the shit I am tired of doing (tired of it since 2003) because it continues to pay the bills. I've wanted to be running my own "shop" since ~2007. I've read lots. I've listened to lots. And I just keep getting older and dumner. So now I've actually started to do more than just buy a domain and sit on it or talk about doing things. I've started, but I'm not totally in love with it. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up, because when I list those things, it sounds like an uber rich kid philanthropist, not someone who is service-oriented. When I think about the things that I would most love to do in terms of work, it would be helping others and feeling competent and helpful in my own business. That's all I know. That's not enough. So "figure it out" doesn't help me anymore than a shot in the leg helps someone to be motivated to run. But, I'm trying. I have something going. And it's the first time I've been excited about work in a while. BTW- that link you posted is awesome, but here is a tough quote from it: "But I don’t get close to anyone bringing me down. This rule can’t be broken. Energy leaks out of you if someone is draining you. And I never owe anyone an explanation. Explaining is draining." That is both true, close to home, and also sounds so selfish. I think you need to be there for your friends- your real friends at least- and family like he said, and that can really mean that you get drug down. By the same token, I drag them down. I think this quote is about 50% right then, but the rest of that post is right on.