Ask HN: I'm lonely. Are there any video chat support groups for solo founders?

Since you asked, I'll try to share what I've learned. You can become incredibly effective if you invest in the skills to become a better teacher. Usually if someone is not learning, its the teacher not doing a good job.

1. Test - before starting any topic, make sure your student has a grasp of the prerequisites by giving them simple tasks. Just because you have taught them the prerequisites a week ago does not mean that they didn't forget.

2. When you are teaching them, talk as little as possible. The only thing you should be saying is the concepts.

3. Ask lots of questions. Ie: What is an object (expect them to repeat what you told them); What happens if (insert 10x different cases). Teach by asking.

4. Set 0 expectations. If you get frustrated its because you have expectations. Many people have self confidence issues. Being disappointed will cause your students emotional stress and they will not be able to learn. They might start to avoid asking you questions...

5. Listen. Many times, your students could be saying what you wanted to hear, but worded differently. Their analogy could have the same concept as yours but very different. Learn to recognize what students are saying.

I can't emphasize #3 enough. When I teach, I never say more than 2 sentences without asking a question. Because you quickly realize that people have a hard time retaining more than 2-3 sentences at a time.

You should 100% invest your time to get better at teaching. Teaching is a skill that schools robs from our childhood growing up. It helps you sympathize with people better, understand people better, communicate with people better, etc., all pretty real skills to have.

however useless of a code someone writes, they might have had alot of fun writing it. Coding can be alot of fun, and everyone can learn it.

Not sure what you're after here. Remote doesn't imply "couped up in sterile, quiet home office". Remote just means no physical presence required

Solo founder here. I found the first few months of my startup so tough that I must've googled Successful solo founders? a half dozen times. I'm sure you've done the same and there's a lot of stuff out there from PG, Altman, Quora et al. describing how solo founders are far less likely to succeed vs co-founders and I personally think it's not just the shared work load aspect (which is definitely big) but the fact that is lonely at the top.

That said I can tell you what helped me:

1. Good family and friends. Your support network is key - it will support you both financially and emotionally. After a hard day or a bad meeting I have someone I can talk to for advice or just to vent. Having great advisors there to tell you when you're on track or off track is incredibly important. They could be your SO, a successful Aunt/Uncle or even your parents.

2. Co-working space. After several months of trying to code my prototype at home and getting very little done compared to my previous day job where I was very productive I realized I needed to get out the house. Try telling a three year old 'no' when they're tugging on your finger and asking "Daddy, wanna play?".

Co-working is an expensive option at £400 odd per month and some angel investors will poo-poo it as a waste in those early months but for me it literally changed my business. Not only was I able to (finally) code after months of being stuck in a rut but just by being in close proximity to successful professionals and attending networking events nearby I felt energized to keep trucking.

3. Networking. Talk to people, attend networking events (I attend 2-3 a year at most right now so it doesn't need to be nuts to start with). These people become your vendors, your contractors and sometimes your future mentors and employees. A ready smile and willingness to push myself a little and chat with folk about their companies and problems has helped me solve my own company's problems.

4. Save money. Sounds simple but as a solo founder you have almost HALF the contacts a two man founding team has. Your money pool to dip into is also considerably lower. Keep your burn rate low as possible but not too low! Invest in your training (Safari Books, online courses). I didn't hire anyone to help me or buy an expensive computer until I'd built my prototype and demo'd the concept to my friends and family. Of course I'm a coder so if you're not that might be easier said than done!

5. Effective time management. Accept that some days just getting to your desk and answering emails is gonna seem like you're trying to climb a mountain. That's normal. Calendaring helped me with this - by scheduling certain afternoons as my "Do whatever you like" period I was able to look forward to an art exhibition or going to a beautiful library downtown and reading some business and management books. It's different for everyone but do schedule your week to help avoid poor time management.

There's loads of stuff you can do and I could probably write for hours on the subject. I'd say the TLDR; is to have a good support network since flying solo is emotionally tough and to have a productive space where you can work.

hmm i like it email me