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Why Should I Start a Startup?

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#181

Post by btown »

jansho wrote: post #133
Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

Your posts always resonate with me, thank you, but I particularly need to hear this one. I will not call myself exceptional, but I often find fitting in almost impossible. Finding a niche and owning it is then survival! Although I'm very aware of the high failure rate with startups, I can't help but keep believing that I can do this thing. Sometimes though I am torn by guilt, that I'm such a snowflake, but I don't kn…

Find a cofounder. Someone you respect and trust, who will fill the gaps in the skills outside your niche. The great startup ideas that can be built by one person, no matter how talented, are largely taken now imo. But for a duo or team, the sky is the limit, because each can retreat to their niche when necessary and know the world will keep going.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#184

Post by R_haterade »

Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

This was something I've really needed to hear.

Thank you, and good luck to you and your sons!

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#185

Post by deepGem »

Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating

Like all correlation to causation misconceptions, most people read this and imply the converse. I find the normal life exceptionally frustrating, so I must be exceptional, hence I must do a startup. I am questioning if this is indeed true. I believe that this is a misconception, being frustrated with day to day life doesn't make one exceptional. Getting out of that frustration and finding something that they can be less frustrated with, perhaps makes people exceptional. One can just be frustrated with day to day life purely because of laziness, for instance.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#187

Post by lordleft »

xchefhatx wrote: post #65
ABCLAW wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. This is a nice dichotomy. Until you add "living out of a car with your pregnant wife and 2 year old child" to the things you have organized your life to do. Humans are very adverse to ruin, and this has nothing to do with what they want to do or achieve. It has to do with what they do not want to experience or put others through.

At some point we have to stop using "the wife" as an excuse. I can't tell you how many times a friend has used "the wife" as an excuse for... not starting a project, not finishing a project, not learning something new, not starting a lifestyle business, not investing, not changing their career, not leaving a sucky job It's not the wife, it's you.

People do definitely use their spouses and children to avoid taking on risks, but the fallout from a failed start-up can be devastating and many parents would (very reasonably) wish to shield their kids from that kind of instability. Especially if you're not in a financially secure place to begin with.

It's tough to suss out when a person is or isn't be too risk-adverse in general though. It may be impossible, in fact.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#188

Post by freyir »

deepGem wrote: post #185
Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating Like all correlation to causation misconceptions, most people read this and imply the converse. I find the normal life exceptionally frustrating, so I must be exceptional, hence I must do a startup. I am questioning if this is indeed true. I believe that this is a misconception, being frustrated with day…

> I find the normal life exceptionally frustrating, so I must be exceptional

Isn't this just the mantra of the millennial?

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#189

Post by [deleted] »

deepGem wrote: post #185
Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating Like all correlation to causation misconceptions, most people read this and imply the converse. I find the normal life exceptionally frustrating, so I must be exceptional, hence I must do a startup. I am questioning if this is indeed true. I believe that this is a misconception, being frustrated with day…

[deleted]

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#190

Post by icelancer »

jansho wrote: post #133
Mz wrote: post #62

He sounds twice exceptional -- gifted, but with some sort of learning disability or handicap of some sort. Twice exceptional people often appear to be "average" but find an "average" or normal life enormously frustrating. Because of having some sort of handicap, it can take a lot to get them going. Once they get going, they often outperform others. Life is vastly better for them when they can create their own niche b…

Your posts always resonate with me, thank you, but I particularly need to hear this one. I will not call myself exceptional, but I often find fitting in almost impossible. Finding a niche and owning it is then survival! Although I'm very aware of the high failure rate with startups, I can't help but keep believing that I can do this thing. Sometimes though I am torn by guilt, that I'm such a snowflake, but I don't kn…

"Exceptional" does not always have to mean "excellent," if you are worried about being immodest. It can also mean - and was originally meant to mean - irregular, not typical.

So use it, if it fits!

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