How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
1–10 of 21 posts
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#23 months and whatever I could drum up contracting part/time
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#3[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#4Infinite. I did contract work part-time while I worked on the business. This was a blessing and a curse. It made sure that I didn't fail due to lack of money but also probably made things take longer than they should have.
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#5Years.
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#6About three months of savings between myself and my co-founder.
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#7First time: 3 months
Second time: 5 months
I am coming up to the end of my personal runway on this current venture but I raised some money from friends and family and I'm able to pay myself a little bit now! Meanwhile I know people who are sitting on 4,5,6 years of runway and are still just talking about doing it. Whatever it is, if it excites you and you can convince others of that, go do it today!
I'd suggest about 6 months of runway to be safe, but we aren't doing this to be safe are we?
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#8About three months of savings between myself and my co-founder.
That is not a lot of runway. What happened to make it work for you? Did you get investors or revenue within those three months?
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#9First time: 3 months Second time: 5 months I am coming up to the end of my personal runway on this current venture but I raised some money from friends and family and I'm able to pay myself a little bit now! Meanwhile I know people who are sitting on 4,5,6 years of runway and are still just talking about doing it. Whatever it is, if it excites you and you can convince others of that, go do it today! I'd suggest about…
Could you explain why you think six months is good? Is the goal to get investors within that six months? Or revenue?
Re: Ask HN: How much runway did you have when you started your startup?
#10First time: 3 months Second time: 5 months I am coming up to the end of my personal runway on this current venture but I raised some money from friends and family and I'm able to pay myself a little bit now! Meanwhile I know people who are sitting on 4,5,6 years of runway and are still just talking about doing it. Whatever it is, if it excites you and you can convince others of that, go do it today! I'd suggest about…
Could you explain why you think six months is good? Is the goal to get investors within that six months? Or revenue?
The goal is to get something that's going to extend that six months, whether it is convincing investors to contribute to your venture or convincing customers to give you a dollar. Ideally you can do both, but if you can't do either with the full force of your time then something is off and you should shift your efforts.
I think six months is good because it is enough time to figure out if something isn't going to work while being short enough to not be an insurmountable challenge to save up for. I don't have a family yet so there is bias in that number, I would probably say 12 months if I was helping to support one.