Roughly the same hours as when I worked for someone else, but I care a whole lot more.
Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
41–50 of 100 posts
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
How did you go about gathering customers? Also, what are the 3 main lessons you learned from the other failed startups?
These lessons won't apply to 99% of startups, but they're what I've learned work for me: Sell to small businesses. Not consumers (too hard to convince them to spend money), not enterprise (too much work for me; I hate sales). Make something that will earn the customer money, or save them money. If it can earn or save them more than you charge, it's easy to sell, and they'll be happy to pay for it. That covers a surpr…
Thanks a lot man! I'm currently in the brainstorming phase for my dream startup/business and your advice came at the right moment, especially the comment about targeting small businesses!
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#43Bad: I work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. Good: On something I like to do. Bad: Have to keep most customers happy. Good: Can tell that one customer who is genuinely being an asshat, to go fuck himself.
that one customer who is genuinely being an asshat
Tarsnap sometimes has "problem customers", but I have yet to see one who is trying to be a problem. It's not really the customer's fault if they don't know how to install a compiler, think that uploading 100 GB over a 512 kbps cable modem will only take a few hours, or can't figure out how to enter a valid tar command (cue xkcd).
I do my best to help such customers, which usually involves refunding their money and pointing them in the direction of dropbox, spideroak, or duplicity.
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#44YC reject here, Winter '14. Started 11/12 as a side-project while working at another YC backed startup. Applied to YC after establishing baseline product market fit. Worked 10hrs M-F at job and another 4-6hrs on startup when home. 10+hrs on Saturday & Sunday on startup. Went full time 3/14 after getting into another accelerator. Since then work about 10+ hrs 6-7 days a week, sometimes taking the occasional weekend of…
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Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
How did you go about gathering customers? Also, what are the 3 main lessons you learned from the other failed startups?
These lessons won't apply to 99% of startups, but they're what I've learned work for me: Sell to small businesses. Not consumers (too hard to convince them to spend money), not enterprise (too much work for me; I hate sales). Make something that will earn the customer money, or save them money. If it can earn or save them more than you charge, it's easy to sell, and they'll be happy to pay for it. That covers a surpr…
Thanks buddy great advice!
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#46I sleep in, wake up, and work till about 7pm depending on time zones I am in (right now most of my calls are 3pm to 7pm since I am in Europe for a few months). I've scaled the late nights back a bit since I got married, but occasionally I'll work through midnight, and occasionally a day on the weekend. I love my work so it takes a lot of work to make sure the balance is there. Before I got married I worked a much mor…
If i may ask, what is your strategy for long term airbnbn rental? My wife and I are thinking of doing the very exact same thing that you and your wife are doing, and would appreciate the info.
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#47[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#48Throw away for obvious reasons. My partner kidnapped my children to different country.Three week granparent visit for "trial" will be soon two years. I dont have much options, so I followed. Now I am at country with zero friends and unknown language. I can not order in shop, my children just started talking in foreign language and I need translator. This brings lot of stress, but it is also (sort of) distraction free…
Which country is it? Maybe one of us can help with daily problems (language, communication etc.) I'm in Turkey.
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#49Throw away for obvious reasons. My partner kidnapped my children to different country.Three week granparent visit for "trial" will be soon two years. I dont have much options, so I followed. Now I am at country with zero friends and unknown language. I can not order in shop, my children just started talking in foreign language and I need translator. This brings lot of stress, but it is also (sort of) distraction free…
Sorry to hear that man, I hope things will pickup for you mate.
Re: Ask HN: Founders, what's your lifestyle like?
#50Throw away for obvious reasons. My partner kidnapped my children to different country.Three week granparent visit for "trial" will be soon two years. I dont have much options, so I followed. Now I am at country with zero friends and unknown language. I can not order in shop, my children just started talking in foreign language and I need translator. This brings lot of stress, but it is also (sort of) distraction free…
Which country is it? Maybe one of us can help with daily problems (language, communication etc.) I'm in Turkey.
Seconded