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Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

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Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#41

Post by gregpilling »

hasenj wrote: post #18
jey wrote: post #6

Relevant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwG_qR6XmDQ Rumor is that the "boss" was actually David E. Shaw himself.

I already regret not learning serious hacking in high school and university. I got lots of A's (and B's), mind you, and I did work on projects of my own and everything, but I really saw it as just a hobby. I was always on windows, mostly dependent an IDEs, and I always thought I gotta be doing something more serious, like gasp oil and gas. Good thing I'm still 25. But I really feel like I should've started thinking a…

I am 41 with a product to be launched soon. It is never too late.

Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#42

Post by DanielN »

suhail wrote: post #24

jriley: Email me suhail@mixpanel.com -- You just got free Mixpanel, good luck when you launch we're here to help.

This is some of the best and most simplistic advertising and pr I've seen in a while. I've heard of mix panel probably 50 times but this was the first time I clicked through your website to see what you guys are all about.

Nice product by the way.

Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#43

Post by nostrademons »

joshuaxls wrote: post #33
nostrademons wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3 years. http://friendfeed.com/paul/0268007b/how-long-does-it-take-to...

Unless you're Groupon or any number of other startups. It helps to start out with a business model.

Andrew Mason first had the idea for Groupon in September 2006, which was more than 2 years before Groupon officially "started" in November 2008, and probably at least 3 years before they achieved mainstream success.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2010/On-Gr...

Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#44

Post by rewind »

jeromec wrote: post #34

Let the [work] begin. FTFY I hope you're prepared to work at least five times harder than you did at your safe job, and for little to no guaranteed reward. Actually, if you're only giving yourself six months, make that ten times harder. I would say good luck, but considering around 90% of startups fail, work hard, be persistent and expect difficulty, seems more helpful to say. The success stories appearing on HN can…

The comments and/or advice you're giving (and the tone you're using) are the type of things you say to someone before they decide to make the jump if you want them to think long and hard before making a tough decision. When you say it like this to someone who is announcing that his decision is made, you just sound condescending. It doesn't help that you throw in a bunch of advice when you don't even know who he is, what his company/product is about, or what his plan is.

Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#46

Post by toast76 »

If I have two pieces of advice I can share,

1. Pick up some contract work - you can easily turn 6 mths into 12 mths, and then 2 years, then 3...no matter how many projects fail to get off the ground, if you have a bit of side income, it'll help in the long run.

2. Don't ever forget why you quit - if that is to "pursue your dreams, not an income". Write it on a wall above your monitors and don't ever forget it.

EDIT: Oh, and good luck! :)

Re: Thanks HN: Goodbye, Golden Handcuffs

#50

Post by toast76 »

jeromec wrote: post #34

Let the [work] begin. FTFY I hope you're prepared to work at least five times harder than you did at your safe job, and for little to no guaranteed reward. Actually, if you're only giving yourself six months, make that ten times harder. I would say good luck, but considering around 90% of startups fail, work hard, be persistent and expect difficulty, seems more helpful to say. The success stories appearing on HN can…

Wow. The Thanksgiving parade was last week Mr. Raincloud.

Here's some positive thoughts for you!

- Running your own business is quite simply the most rewarding thing you can ever do (professionally at least). - Succeed or fail, you'll come out of it better off than you started. - Don't measure your success by whether TechCrunch writes about you. Measure it by being proud of what you achieve. - Even your biggest failures are at worst just one learning step to your first success. - If nobody has heard of you in 10 years time, but you're happy, enjoying your work, have a happy and healthy family and you're still your own boss...then you've succeeded. Congratulations.

Most importantly - Ignore "minimum viability", "traction", "iteration", "deadline" and all the other things a dozen different "5 steps to success" books might tell you.... if you have the confidence to go it alone, then do what works for you, YOUR product and YOUR dream.

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