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I'm not going to turn down applause, but building something on the side isn't all peaches-and-cream. I realize that it's not supposed to be easy to build a suc

by mrshoe 17y ago

I'm not going to turn down applause, but building something on the side isn't all peaches-and-cream. I realize that it's not supposed to be easy to build a successful business. But if it's so hard, why should we make it even harder by pursuing our business every night when our mind is already fatigued from a full day of work? I'm doing a startup on the side because I have to. I'm not able to take on the risk that comes with quitting my day job, especially in this economy. Especially when I like my day job. However, if I could pursue my startup full time, you better believe I would. In a heartbeat. I do agree, however, that applause should be withheld until something comes to fruition. Sorry if this comes across as negative, but I write this as I'm up late writing code instead of sleeping. To all of you would-be entrepreneurs thinking of starting something on the side: go for it! It's fun! :-P

bad_user 17y ago
> But if it's so hard, why should we make it even harder by pursuing our business every night when our mind is already fatigued from a full day of work? Doing it on the side is very hard, but I'm one of those people that can't sleep if I'm worrying about what I'll put on the table tomorrow ... since I have a family. I know that having a family is not an ideal scenario for starting a startup, but the support I have from my wife really helps (not to mention that we are in love, plus I have a social life that helps me relax), so it's a tradeoff. Besides ... the real advantage of doing it on the side is that you don't have enough time. With such harsh limitations you start cutting down the bullshit and deliver the minimal functionality that does the job, improving what really matters and prioritizing your next features ... as opposed to day-dreaming pink ponies (as I usually do when thinking of a new project).
RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago
Maybe I'm mis-understanding you, but you are supporting his point. He is saying that people who keep their day job and build something on the side, and see it through, are just as deserving of applause if not more so. In some senses it's the harder way of doing it. Less heroic, like getting code written to time, without bugs, without fuss, working 9 to 5, no drama. He's saying that the room burst into applause because someone took the dramatic step of quitting their day job, and he feels that that isn't, of itself, deserving of applause. Aren't you agreeing with him?
Goladus 17y ago
Applause is easy to give. Quitting your job, despite the claim in the article, is not easy. Quitting your job is frightening and peer encouragement is very useful. That's what the applause is for.
- aditya 17y ago
  +1 - keeping your job and dreaming the dream is easy. Quitting your job is harder. Keeping your job and actually making something profitable is the hardest.
  - Goladus 17y ago
    And the point, as far as the article goes, is that the cheering happens because of the particular sort of difficulty associated with quitting your job: fear, anxiety, second-guessing the decision. Applause doesn't help side-projects in the same way.

by mrshoe 17y ago

bad_user 17y ago

> But if it's so hard, why should we make it even harder by pursuing our business every night when our mind is already fatigued from a full day of work? Doing it on the side is very hard, but I'm one of those people that can't sleep if I'm worrying about what I'll put on the table tomorrow ... since I have a family. I know that having a family is not an ideal scenario for starting a startup, but the support I have from my wife really helps (not to mention that we are in love, plus I have a social life that helps me relax), so it's a tradeoff. Besides ... the real advantage of doing it on the side is that you don't have enough time. With such harsh limitations you start cutting down the bullshit and deliver the minimal functionality that does the job, improving what really matters and prioritizing your next features ... as opposed to day-dreaming pink ponies (as I usually do when thinking of a new project).

RiderOfGiraffes 17y ago

Maybe I'm mis-understanding you, but you are supporting his point. He is saying that people who keep their day job and build something on the side, and see it through, are just as deserving of applause if not more so. In some senses it's the harder way of doing it. Less heroic, like getting code written to time, without bugs, without fuss, working 9 to 5, no drama. He's saying that the room burst into applause because someone took the dramatic step of quitting their day job, and he feels that that isn't, of itself, deserving of applause. Aren't you agreeing with him?

Goladus 17y ago

Applause is easy to give. Quitting your job, despite the claim in the article, is not easy. Quitting your job is frightening and peer encouragement is very useful. That's what the applause is for.

aditya 17y ago
+1 - keeping your job and dreaming the dream is easy. Quitting your job is harder. Keeping your job and actually making something profitable is the hardest.
- Goladus 17y ago
  And the point, as far as the article goes, is that the cheering happens because of the particular sort of difficulty associated with quitting your job: fear, anxiety, second-guessing the decision. Applause doesn't help side-projects in the same way.