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Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

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Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#51

Post by throes_death »

Ididntdothis wrote: post #19

It depends on your financial situation. If you can afford it, take some time off and forget about the whole thing. If you need money, I would either get a steady job or a contracting position to reestablish a stable financial situation. It’s hard to think straight while being broke.

Thanks. I do need to forget about things but I also feel I need to feel as if I've earnt a paycheck. Does that make sense? I have not "won any bread" for the last 4 years and even some casual hours doing unskilled labor, I think, might make me feel energized.

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#52

Post by throes_death »

predictmktegirl wrote: post #48

After I exited my last business, it took me 3 years to finally get up to feeling ready again. I also went to a dark place for a while. My best advice is to keep your head up and think more about the present than the future, at least for a little while. Keep yourself busy and avoid things that feel too cumbersome or dreadful. Exercise and treat your body well. In between battling depression and anxiety over the years,…

Thank you. I felt a little dark when I knew things were going to end badly, but surprisingly I don't feel bad now that things are over. I feel slightly excited and interested in what the next opportunity might be, but as I said originally, I feel creatively burnt out and don't seem to have the critical analysis needed right now to figure out what to do next.

I hope things are working out for you now (mental health wise).

Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#54

Post by nefitty »

endymi0n wrote: post #40
legitster wrote: post #16

Work a job as normal and boring as you can find. Boring is, boring. But boredom is a good way to build up energy for a future run at a startup. Also, one thing you lose working in a startup for a long period of time is perspective on what "normal" problems are. Which is why so many startups look like they only target other startups. The best ideas come from working in an industry long enough to understand the specifi…

Big +1 here from my side, and here's a bit of scientific background: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201407... Some of my anecdotal evidence: Left an exploded and then imploded startup (where I was one of the first employees), completely burned out and was approached by a guy for a startup. Sounded good, but my creative energy was gone and my wife told me to go to hell if I wanted to start a com…

JustWatch has been such a game changer for me! Really awesome job. Great UI, intuitive layout, responsive. You guys must be getting a barrage of well deserved traffic lately.

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#55

Post by ilrwbwrkhv »

endymi0n wrote: post #43
metal13 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Underrated comment. Those things are great, but when your minds' entertainment comes from outside, you never rebuild the creative muscle.

Playing a game or watching a movie feels good — but at the same time, you're living someone elses' dreams. All this dopamine, all this adrenaline will feel so good and make you tired just enough to conveniently forget about your own.

what about reading books? either fiction or non fiction?

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#56

Post by pm »

predictmktegirl wrote: post #48

After I exited my last business, it took me 3 years to finally get up to feeling ready again. I also went to a dark place for a while. My best advice is to keep your head up and think more about the present than the future, at least for a little while. Keep yourself busy and avoid things that feel too cumbersome or dreadful. Exercise and treat your body well. In between battling depression and anxiety over the years,…

What field did you come from and what did you end up going into?

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#57

Post by Ididntdothis »

throes_death wrote: post #51
Ididntdothis wrote: post #19

It depends on your financial situation. If you can afford it, take some time off and forget about the whole thing. If you need money, I would either get a steady job or a contracting position to reestablish a stable financial situation. It’s hard to think straight while being broke.

Thanks. I do need to forget about things but I also feel I need to feel as if I've earnt a paycheck. Does that make sense? I have not "won any bread" for the last 4 years and even some casual hours doing unskilled labor, I think, might make me feel energized.

I totally understand. Personally I would do some contracting. Having somebody tell you what to do and making some money without much stress can be good for the soul for a while.

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#58

Post by ijidak »

endymi0n wrote: post #40
legitster wrote: post #16

Work a job as normal and boring as you can find. Boring is, boring. But boredom is a good way to build up energy for a future run at a startup. Also, one thing you lose working in a startup for a long period of time is perspective on what "normal" problems are. Which is why so many startups look like they only target other startups. The best ideas come from working in an industry long enough to understand the specifi…

Big +1 here from my side, and here's a bit of scientific background: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201407... Some of my anecdotal evidence: Left an exploded and then imploded startup (where I was one of the first employees), completely burned out and was approached by a guy for a startup. Sounded good, but my creative energy was gone and my wife told me to go to hell if I wanted to start a com…

Wow! Finally a way to easily filter Netflix by rating and IMDb quality!

How are you monetizing this?

I ask out of concern that this thing sticks around!

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#59

Post by epalm »

endymi0n wrote: post #40
legitster wrote: post #16

Work a job as normal and boring as you can find. Boring is, boring. But boredom is a good way to build up energy for a future run at a startup. Also, one thing you lose working in a startup for a long period of time is perspective on what "normal" problems are. Which is why so many startups look like they only target other startups. The best ideas come from working in an industry long enough to understand the specifi…

Big +1 here from my side, and here's a bit of scientific background: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201407... Some of my anecdotal evidence: Left an exploded and then imploded startup (where I was one of the first employees), completely burned out and was approached by a guy for a startup. Sounded good, but my creative energy was gone and my wife told me to go to hell if I wanted to start a com…

endymi0n ... from the planet Hyperion?

Re: Ask HN: Starting over after business failure

#60

Post by muzani »

pgt wrote: post #26
bramkrom wrote: post #23

Some people have given solid advice here on financial restrictions, so will focus on the 'fire for building' part. Recently listened to a podcast of Tim Ferris, where he interviewed Tony Fadell - who built the iPod, iPhone and Nest. In it, he makes a serious case for getting bored. He explains how he uses it to drive new ideas, such as how it helped him get the clarity of mind to get the idea of Nest, and how afterwa…

An important aspect of fostering boredom is avoiding gratification like Netflix or Twitter (which I am hugely guilty of).

Netflix gives me little gratification. And so, it's a great source of relaxation for me. Whereas social media is addictive for me.

Keep in mind, dopamine isn't a "pleasure hormone". It's a reward anticipation hormone, one that drives you to do painful things for a reward that might not happen. It mixes both excitement and anxiety... excitement to get you started, anxiety to force you to finish.

It doesn't trigger in things that are actually relaxing. That's why people who are actually having fun 'procrastinate' less on some sites.

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