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Anyone else have any experience with business/life coaches? I can't really see how I'd get anything out of something like that.

alex_c 17y ago
I've never used one, but I would suspect the biggest value is just having someone confidential and with no conflict of interest that you can just talk to and put your thoughts in order. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging
sivers 17y ago
Isn't that a lot of what Y Combinator is about? It just means access to someone whose opinion you really respect, that also knows you well enough to give you wise customized advice.
- adamhowell 17y ago
  I'd say YC is more like a business partner. They know everything there is to know about your business and offer advice -- but that's because they've been there before and have an invested interest in making sure you succeed. So it's important they're honest with you and guide you as best they can. But a coach is in a different position. How do you get someone with enough knowledge in your area to provide insightful advice? How do you make sure they're not blowing smoke up your ass to keep you as a client? My guess is you just make sure you get the best or have an old friend in the business who won't pull punches. In that sense it's nice that something like YC is around for the upstarts that can't yet afford the best or don't have a prebuilt network. But not every small startup can get into YC, obviously, which I guess is where sites like Hacker News and a good network of like-minded friends can fill in the gap.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
pmichaud 17y ago
I've never hired one per se, but networking is like having a team of them, and you can call any given one depending on your question. It's like having a super knowledgeable coach all the time, no matter what.
edw519 17y ago
Yes. Here's one that is very good (and also has a pretty good website). Spend a little time surfing it to get an idea of the kinds of things they do and what you could get out of it, maybe not now, but someday. I know the next time I launch, this guy's time will be in my budget if for no other reason that to get my concerns addressed by an independent rational mind. http://ashdalegroup.com/ http://ashdalegroup.com/
maneesh 17y ago
Yea I've been doing freelance and usually pro-bono life coaching for a while, it's analogous and somewhat opposite to therapy --- therapy being a way to fix problems, and lifecoaching being a way to look at your life goals and make it even better. Additionally, life coaching is cool because coaches have studied time management techniques, goal setting, discipline methods, etc...things that you might not even know about. The way I coach is by taking a while to listen to the person's goals and situation and build a specific, measurable plan to achieve those goals. If any HN people want pro-bono life coaching, shoot me an email maneesh@maneeshsethi.com
petercooper 17y ago
I can't really see how I'd get anything out of something like that. You might not. But do you see the value of, say, therapy for other people? If so, then.. it's like that, just for less touchy-feely stuff ;-)

alex_c 17y ago

I've never used one, but I would suspect the biggest value is just having someone confidential and with no conflict of interest that you can just talk to and put your thoughts in order. See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

sivers 17y ago

Isn't that a lot of what Y Combinator is about? It just means access to someone whose opinion you really respect, that also knows you well enough to give you wise customized advice.

adamhowell 17y ago
I'd say YC is more like a business partner. They know everything there is to know about your business and offer advice -- but that's because they've been there before and have an invested interest in making sure you succeed. So it's important they're honest with you and guide you as best they can. But a coach is in a different position. How do you get someone with enough knowledge in your area to provide insightful advice? How do you make sure they're not blowing smoke up your ass to keep you as a client? My guess is you just make sure you get the best or have an old friend in the business who won't pull punches. In that sense it's nice that something like YC is around for the upstarts that can't yet afford the best or don't have a prebuilt network. But not every small startup can get into YC, obviously, which I guess is where sites like Hacker News and a good network of like-minded friends can fill in the gap.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]

pmichaud 17y ago

I've never hired one per se, but networking is like having a team of them, and you can call any given one depending on your question. It's like having a super knowledgeable coach all the time, no matter what.

edw519 17y ago

Yes. Here's one that is very good (and also has a pretty good website). Spend a little time surfing it to get an idea of the kinds of things they do and what you could get out of it, maybe not now, but someday. I know the next time I launch, this guy's time will be in my budget if for no other reason that to get my concerns addressed by an independent rational mind. http://ashdalegroup.com/ http://ashdalegroup.com/

maneesh 17y ago

Yea I've been doing freelance and usually pro-bono life coaching for a while, it's analogous and somewhat opposite to therapy --- therapy being a way to fix problems, and lifecoaching being a way to look at your life goals and make it even better. Additionally, life coaching is cool because coaches have studied time management techniques, goal setting, discipline methods, etc...things that you might not even know about. The way I coach is by taking a while to listen to the person's goals and situation and build a specific, measurable plan to achieve those goals. If any HN people want pro-bono life coaching, shoot me an email maneesh@maneeshsethi.com

petercooper 17y ago

I can't really see how I'd get anything out of something like that. You might not. But do you see the value of, say, therapy for other people? If so, then.. it's like that, just for less touchy-feely stuff ;-)