41–50 of 66 posts
Wonderful read. Your story could be mine. I completely understand all the things you’re saying. I know what it feels like to have two small kids, a job, a mortgage, having to get up at night to feed a baby and dreaming of having your own succesful business. I have been developing my own sites for the last decade, without ever being really succesful (in terms of money). I’ve been working at my own computer from eight…
Proud to see my blog post on HN. It has been a tough slog working full-time while spending every other waking moment on Gridspy. It doesn't help that I spend every waking moment thinking about it, even when I should be applying myself to my full-time job. Biggest challenges: 1) Starting work again at 7pm after dinner, and sticking with it as long as possible 2) Stopping at 10:30pm so I'm not dead after 2 days 3) Taki…
My schedule looks almost exactly like yours. On Saturdays, I watch my son while my wife is at work, and I have the same mixed feelings about spending time with my son vs. working on my startup. Then I feel guilty for having mixed feelings...you know how it goes.
Good luck with your startup. Keep fighting the good fight!
There should be a support group for over 30 startup founders that have families, bills, and full-time jobs. My advice to any one trying to do this is to be patient and find a time management system that works for you. Also, get used to the hours between 8pm and 2am. Those hours can be your best friend and worse enemy.
Sounds about right without the kids. Btw, if you have a blog you should probably take the opportunity to pimp your own site with a little seo magic. looks like your first keyword is "power use" and the chances of putting someone else putting that in an "a" tag aren't that likely. Also a direct link to the site rather than just the blog entry would be helpful for real people. Google will take the first link to [a href…
I'm still focusing on the part of the "SEO Pyramid" where I create great content that people want to read. There is heaps of tuning to do soon.
This is totally doable, although I don't envy him for trying to do it while also having a wife and kids. If your life situation allows you to play WoW, your life situation allows you to run a business. Heck, my business is considerably less complicated than the guild I used to run. I managed to cut my headcount by 39 and my hours by 75%. (You may have to stop playing WoW. Apologies in advance, but trust me, the loot…
I would love to hear about any techniques you have for overcoming mental fatigue at the end of your work day when you still have business work to do. Did you work on your business before the work day started? Or something different?
Here's my inner monologue when I know it'd be better for me to do something but I'm too "tired" to get it done: SHUT THE &@# UP YOU (&@#ING WHINER. DO YOU WANT IT OR NOT? JUST (*@&#ING DO IT.
And then I get to work!
I don't really buy into this approach especially with young children and a wife. Read all the posts detailing how hard this approach is without a wife and kids. How much time is this guy spending with his spouse? How happy is the spouse going to be with you constantly on the computer. This kind of advice will mostly lead to a divorce. Of course, this is case by case as some spouses may be OK with being totally ignore…
In fact, part of the decision to stay full-time employee right now is so that I can spend time with my family without the huge stress that I might sink our financial ship.
Anyway, It's not a "gold-rush-webapp" - we are satisfying a real need and our clients are willing to pay us well to help them.
+1 Even college grads can follow some of this advice. Come out of school ladened with debt is no picnic and sure going straight to a startup sure seems like a sexy idea but even Paul Graham admits most startups fail. Sure valuable experience, and new contacts help ease that but there are alternatives. I would prefer to go into business for myself once I am debt free and on solid footing (not waiting because I am scar…
I wouldn't have been able to stand going into the regular workforce.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would love to hear about any techniques you have for overcoming mental fatigue at the end of your work day when you still have business work to do. Did you work on your business before the work day started? Or something different?
Caffeine. I know one word responses are generally frowned upon here, but seriously that was how I do it. I don't want to work on anything. I have just put the kids to bed. Its 9pm. Only a red-bull, or a pot of coffee, or maybe just a diet coke or tea can get me going again. That and music. I'll put on some music with headphones and its kind of like a signal to my brain that its time to start coding again.
+1 Even college grads can follow some of this advice. Come out of school ladened with debt is no picnic and sure going straight to a startup sure seems like a sexy idea but even Paul Graham admits most startups fail. Sure valuable experience, and new contacts help ease that but there are alternatives. I would prefer to go into business for myself once I am debt free and on solid footing (not waiting because I am scar…
But are you really going to be able to walk away from a comfortable life and good salary some years down the road to try something risky? The longer you get used to having disposable income and the freedom to do whatever you want outside of 9-5 knowing you'll have a job to go back to tomorrow, the less likely you'll be willing to take the plunge. I landed a good job right out of school. I soon after (i.e. a few month…