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Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

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Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#1

Post by alifaziz »

Hi everyone! I'm malaysian. Going to gradute in CS soon. Currently I'm working alone on my own web project in purpose to run a startup right after I've finish my last day in CS faculty or maybe before the last day.

But the problem is, I always doubt at my own ideas and potential to execute the idea. Yes, I'm ready to take any risks but at some times, severally, I feel unmotivated, uninspired any more because of my surroundings and friends network are not really into realistic interest in entrepreneurship.

Any positive constructive advice on how to overcome these emotional obstacles, how to manage poisonous unmotivated people around and how to stay persist on what I believe will work.

That's all. Thank you.

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#4

Post by tomh- »

sajid wrote: post #3

Get a cofounder, there must be many good candidates in your CS class.

That's more likely to happen in the US and the least likely to happen in Asia. There might be good programmers, but that doesn't mean they will be good founders or even want to be founders! The cultural mindset to become Enterpreneur is very high relatively in the US, but in general in Asia it is not, and it is expected that you work for a big company after you are done with school, the bigger the better. Even though it's good advice, realize that it's not as easy as you make it sound!

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#5

Post by richardw »

Get a beta out. Test the app against the many out there who might benefit from it, not the few you know who wouldn't. Totally different set of people, so one shouldn't influence your success with the other.

In terms of entrepreneurship, just spend more mental time with other startup-types. There must be some in your city/country. There are definitely more online, people who are in exactly the same situation as you and who have the same worries. Read what they have to say, forget about what salary-focused people tell you.

You might fail initially, but at least you can say you tried and even failure helps in terms of succeeding sooner or later.

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#6

Post by snitko »

Alleyfield wrote: post #2

Emotional obstacles? They are something you have to overcome by yourself. You're like a shy person asking for dating advice. No one can help you but yourself.

Well, a shy person asking for dating advice may get a good one and benefit. So I think I'm going to give one.

alifaziz, I often feel unmotivated too. I often feel like I don't care for the thing I'm working on anymore and that no one else cares and that I don't know why am I doing it. The solution is simple: ignore these periods (just say to yourself: I know what it is and it's temporary). They will pass. Then you get your motivation back and that's when you'd have to act.

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#8

Post by tomh- »

Alleyfield wrote: post #2

Emotional obstacles? They are something you have to overcome by yourself. You're like a shy person asking for dating advice. No one can help you but yourself.

There is nothing wrong with this, good (or even any) advice will help gaining motivation!

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#9

Post by alifaziz »

tomh- wrote: post #4
sajid wrote: post #3

Get a cofounder, there must be many good candidates in your CS class.

That's more likely to happen in the US and the least likely to happen in Asia. There might be good programmers, but that doesn't mean they will be good founders or even want to be founders! The cultural mindset to become Enterpreneur is very high relatively in the US, but in general in Asia it is not, and it is expected that you work for a big company after you are done with school, the bigger the better. Even though…

Well that's very true in my situation here! Even some lecturers are so little minded in encouraging students into entrepreneurship. Yes, who does not wants secure safe job with big company, be a good worker and live happily.

But.. It sounds like no more better life than after getting hired. Risk and failure that frightening good potential people away from being an entrepreneur.

Unfortunately, shameful to say, I'm surrounded with these kind of people everyday. Talking about ambition in establishing your own company is hardly achievable. At the end I need to survive myself, home made self motivating.

Re: Ask HN: I have a startup idea, the project is 90% done. But..

#10

Post by dirtyaura »

A mentor of mine has saying that startups are an emotional rollercoaster. One week you are high of the positive feedback after pitching to an investor, next week you realize that they are still far from investing. One week you get tons of work done, next week you bang your head against some stupid technical problem that you thought was trivial. One week you have a spike in adoption curve for a random reason, next week it flattens for apparently no reason.

You just have to learn to ride the emotional rollercoaster. For some people, it comes naturally. They are confident and positive, constantly living in their own reality distortion field. Some analytical people have doubts all the time.

If you have doubts about your capability to execute, consider that as part of the business and just push through the emotional low back to high.

But if you have doubts about your overall idea, then you just have to go back to the idea. Why I'm doubting it? Idea should be something that you think has obvious potential and you just wonder why others aren't doing it. Often times it's enough to adjust your original idea a bit. Get feedback, fresh perspectives. Pivot. And you suddenly feel confident again.

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