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Why Should I Start a Startup?

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#281

Post by andkon »

agogolev wrote: post #263
andkon wrote: post #153

I'd like to fill out the "maybe" part of his "If you answer yes three times, then maybe starting a startup is for you" bit. I answer a very strong yes to all three of those. Always have. But a startup, despite my always having worked in them and run one of my own for three years, was resolutely not a good idea for me. It took a lot of self-discovery to see myself not as an entrepreneur, but as an artist, and it's fru…

Thanks for your replay. What kind of art do you do and can I look at it somewhere online?

I think the best description is conceptual art; I tend to write code or build hardware that gets you into and gets you exploring a specific emotion or feeling. I'm working on where to show it actually — if you send an email to the address in my profile I can share when it's up!

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#282

Post by Mz »

dr_ wrote: post #239
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…

He went to Yale. He's definitely not average or with a learning disability.

Temple Grandin has a PhD and has Autism. Stephen Hawking is wheelchair-bound and famous as a genius in his field.

Going to Yale is not proof positive that he has no learning disability or other handicap. He talks about failing to initially qualify for the gifted program in school and working to make it happen, then continuing to push. This is what fits the "looks average, but isn't" pattern common for 2xe types.

When I was active in the online gifted community, it was well known that the higher the IQ, the more likely it was that someone also had OCD, ADHD, Asperger's or similar. This was so common that some people referred to such conditions as "comorbidities" of giftedness, in part for lack of a better word, in part because these were support groups for parents of gifted kids. Because they were support groups, it was an environment where people complained a lot about the downside of being smart, which, among other things, tends to come with a boatload of social BS that is incredibly unpleasant.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#283

Post by gist »

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #244
lomnakkus wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This article is selling a narrative that you want to hear with a huge dollop of confirmation bias as andy_ppp points out. It's not very likely that you or your family are that 0.01%[1], but it is very likely that you think you are exceptional. (I wish you all and your family all the best, but one needs to be very careful around this kind of narrativium.) [1] Made up number, obviously.

The opposite side of the problem is that sometimes people continually tell you you're exceptional, talented, capable, and driven, while you point to your record of actual accomplishments and proclaim your mediocrity. And by "you" I of course mean "me".

> while you point to your record of actual accomplishments and proclaim your mediocrity

Luck being the missing ingredient.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#284

Post by voidhorse »

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…

Exceptional people are often exceptional because they don't spend time worrying about whether or not they are exceptional or classifiable as such.

Find a problem, a passion, and love it. Forget yourself.

The moment you're convinced you're some sort of 'type' it's over. You'll set up ridiculous expectations, founded on nothing, and defeat yourself at every impasse because you aren't fitting the type/persona/image you've crafted for yourself.

It's good to have small, concrete goals.

It's bad to have hopes.

Or at least that's my experience.

And it takes a long time to crawl out of the ravine of disappointment and frustration that sort of attitude eventually creates.

Leave the needless typifying, categorizing, and psychologizing to the psychologists.

So many people seem to think they just need to correctly identify what kind or type of human being they are--oh I'm a INFJ, PB&J or whatever--and they'll have figured it all out. It doesn't work like that. That's just a desire for the easy way out. Truth is there is no easy answer. Localized contingencies and circumstances way beyond your own control shape who you are and your opportunities.

Existence precedes essence, as Sartre might say.

You are, though the same as everyone else, also unrepeatable.

For the Greeks, one wasn't a genius, one was lucky enough to have a genius. Furthermore, everyone had a little bit of genius following them around.

I think there's some benefits to decoupling ability and the ego in that manner--some benefit in placing our gifts, once more, in the hands of the gods.

Don't sweat it.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#285

Post by Mz »

voidhorse wrote: post #284
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…

Exceptional people are often exceptional because they don't spend time worrying about whether or not they are exceptional or classifiable as such. Find a problem, a passion, and love it. Forget yourself. The moment you're convinced you're some sort of 'type' it's over. You'll set up ridiculous expectations, founded on nothing, and defeat yourself at every impasse because you aren't fitting the type/persona/image you'…

Exceptional people are often exceptional because they don't spend time worrying about whether or not they are exceptional or classifiable as such.

People who have a disability generally benefit from getting a proper diagnosis. Twice exceptional people often have terrible self esteem problems due to a long track record of failing to perform as well as they expect of themselves and as well as others around them expect of them. Learning that they actually are smart, but also have a handicap, is often life changing in a very positive way. Getting proper accommodation for the handicap can be incredibly empowering and allow them to start hitting some of the marks they have long desired, but kept failing to reach.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#286

Post by dr_ »

Mz wrote: post #282
dr_ wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He went to Yale. He's definitely not average or with a learning disability.

Temple Grandin has a PhD and has Autism. Stephen Hawking is wheelchair-bound and famous as a genius in his field. Going to Yale is not proof positive that he has no learning disability or other handicap. He talks about failing to initially qualify for the gifted program in school and working to make it happen, then continuing to push. This is what fits the "looks average, but isn't" pattern common for 2xe types. When…

Perhaps people who are characterized as such - ADHD, Aspergers (remember these are diagnoses made on observation,there are no lab tests to diagnose them) are in a learning environment that is not conducive to promoting their underlying talent. Perhaps it's the education system that needs change, and not the pupil. If so, we may see fewer of these diagnoses.

I don't know temple grandin, but hawking certainly didn't have a learning disorder.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#287

Post by Mz »

dr_ wrote: post #286
Mz wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Temple Grandin has a PhD and has Autism. Stephen Hawking is wheelchair-bound and famous as a genius in his field. Going to Yale is not proof positive that he has no learning disability or other handicap. He talks about failing to initially qualify for the gifted program in school and working to make it happen, then continuing to push. This is what fits the "looks average, but isn't" pattern common for 2xe types. When…

Perhaps people who are characterized as such - ADHD, Aspergers (remember these are diagnoses made on observation,there are no lab tests to diagnose them) are in a learning environment that is not conducive to promoting their underlying talent. Perhaps it's the education system that needs change, and not the pupil. If so, we may see fewer of these diagnoses. I don't know temple grandin, but hawking certainly didn't ha…

And my original comment indicated learning disability or other handicap. My handicap is medical, not a learning disability.

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#288

Post by Veelox »

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.

I kind of see the point you are making, that some people don't do things that are good for them because they let their wife says no.

That said, I think you miss the point ABCLAW is making. A lot of people care highly about making sure that their family is taken care. This keeps them from risking everything on starting on a start-up.

As an aside, I see the options as 1) find a 8-5 I enjoy, get paid well enough to support my family and enjoy the extra time with them. 2) Start a company, work 80+ hours a week for >2 years for a For me and my family 1 is a much more appealing option

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#289

Post by lomnakkus »

Mz wrote: post #278
lomnakkus wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"different"? FWIW, at least as far as I can know my own mind, my comment wasn't spurred by any notion of perceiving as OP being "arrogant" or thinking that they are "a special snowflake" or anything like that. It's just that unlikely statistical events are... unlikely even though they often do happen to someone (in aggregate). As an individual, and without compelling evidence, it's simply meaningless to think that yo…

It's just that unlikely statistical events are... unlikely even though they often do happen to someone (in aggregate). You may think you mean well, but your original comment came across as ugly and dismissive and personally attacking. I didn't provide any evidence that I am some extreme outlier because a) that wasn't the point and b) people who know me already know I am twice exceptional and don't need that elaborate…

I really don't understand why you addressed this comment to me...? I think I specifically stated that I wasn't being dismissive of your experience?

(Also, assuming you're telling the truth, I think it might also be imprudent to divulge so much of your life story online. It'd be very easy to gather a lot of detail about you that might lead to a spearphishing attack or similar. You should probably ask a mod to delete some of your comment, or do it yourself if the time limit hasn't expired.)

Re: Why Should I Start a Startup?

#290

Post by Veelox »

jaypaulynice wrote: post #76

I like this post. I wish I really started a startup in college or right after. A regular corporate job turns you into a zombie and you become out of touch with reality especially if you're well paid and well fed. A lot of people are unprepared for the hard life. If anything, you'll learn more about life in 6 months than you will in decades. It's not just the technical stuff. You'll learn who your real friends are. Be…

> If you're married, you'll soon find out if your spouse really loves you or just the regular income.

Stress does crazy things to people. I have no desire to drag my wife through hell. I love her and want a good life for her. I don't she would leave me if I lost all my income but with that said. The amount of stress it would put on her to go through what you are talking about is not worth any amount of money.

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