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I am done. I give up

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: I am done. I give up

#331

Post by rvba »

axegon_ wrote: post #190

I feel you. I'm gonna be honest, I've lost count of my attempts(solo or with others) for a course of 12 years. 2 years ago I completely gave up. This isn't an endeavor that anyone can take. Some of us are not built for it. As strange as it may sound, this is something best suited for people who are average at most related fields (marketing, sales and development) with slightly above average skills in one area. If you…

If your startups kept failing for 12 years, where did you get money for food and rent?

Re: I am done. I give up

#332

Post by Tycho »

Sammi wrote: post #312
Tycho wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why societies should strive for more “inequality” (as in, more families with large fortunes). The rich have a safety net that allows them to take risks that ultimately benefit all of society. Let’s say with the best execution, a startup still only has 10% chance of success - so then the only thing to do is have more and more people “roll the dice.” And no, a strong welfare state is not a substitute - the dang…

You really don't think there is already more than enough inequality? I get the case for some capital accumulation. Capital does make for an amazing economic engine that we all benefit from. Capitalist countries are richer than non capitalist countries. Easy to understand. But there is a point where more capital accumulation and inequality just makes the rest of us become serfs to oligarchs.

I think we need more Elon Musks, yes.

Although, obviously, we don’t want more people who got rich by being politicians.

Re: I am done. I give up

#333

Post by andix »

It’s really hard to be successful with something new. With new products.

That’s why most companies do something very traditional. Plumbing, baking bread, hosting servers, building „boring“ websites, …

If you want to invent something new, you need to be exceptionally creative and exceptionally lucky. It’s okay if you aren’t.

Re: I am done. I give up

#334

Post by uffndnjfncnc »

IronIvan wrote: post #300
xvector wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bezos would not have kept Amazon in the US if it adopted Nordic welfare levels of taxation. The fact of the matter is that the EU has a staggeringly low output when it comes to tech innovation compared to the US. Their policies and regulations shape this.

Can confirm. Lived a very frugal early retirement lifestyle in Austria because it was practically impossible to build wealth (high taxes, comparatively very low tech salaries, little entrepreneurial support/incentives). Moving to the US I was able to 5-6x my income (from what I could have realistically made) , while reducing my tax burden by 15 percentage points, and so I've been happily living a workaholics' lifesty…

[flagged]

Re: I am done. I give up

#335

Post by groestl »

> Building a startup is hard work and it takes time. It's not as easy as they make it seem and it's not for everyone.

And, as others have mentioned, it takes a lot of luck. I mention this specifically, because your words seem like you still believe it's you. It's not. Your fine. It's circumstances, almost entirely.

Re: I am done. I give up

#337

Post by xakpc »

that's ok I gave up too (after a 6 years on my second company) I get back to a full time job I have more sleep, earn more, travel more and much more relaxed Now if I build something, I do it just for fun without any expectation Maybe in couple years I will try again, maybe not

Re: I am done. I give up

#338

Post by jamesbfb »

kubb wrote: post #133
jurmous wrote: post #10

A big fact of the entrepreneur world is that it is hugely based on luck. Luck of finding the right idea, the right market, the right timing, the right connections, the right customers, the right employees, the right financing. The basic fact is that most startups and most entrepreneurial dreams fail or get consumed by another for their talent/clients. And as an entrepreneur you fight against all odds. Most will fail…

One of the privileges people don't often think about is being able to afford to fail. If you don't risk destitution after your startup fails, you can try and fail many times, learn and try again. It's like continuously rolling two dice, and you only need to get double sixes once, and after that it's private jets until you die. One of the many reasons the rich get richer and the poor, well you know how it goes.

> It's like continuously rolling two dice, and you only need to get double sixes once, and after that it's private jets until you die.

I’m stealing this. Fantastic analogy.

Re: I am done. I give up

#339

Post by jcfrei »

jurmous wrote: post #10

A big fact of the entrepreneur world is that it is hugely based on luck. Luck of finding the right idea, the right market, the right timing, the right connections, the right customers, the right employees, the right financing. The basic fact is that most startups and most entrepreneurial dreams fail or get consumed by another for their talent/clients. And as an entrepreneur you fight against all odds. Most will fail…

Yes, 100%. Capitalism is like a gigantic genetic algorithm. 100 people try 100 slightly different business models, in slightly different places, with different customers, etc. and some combinations just hit that sweet spot that makes them successful.

Re: I am done. I give up

#340

Post by pclmulqdq »

jliptzin wrote: post #292
koobe wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flip side of the welfare state is the heavy tax burden. Heavily progressive income tax makes it harder for individuals to accumulate capital for enterprenial endeavours, be it their own or investing in others'. This limits early stage investments and growth. Also, there are limited incentives in investing in careers and productivity as net income is surprisingly similar in lowest 10% and highest 10% income earners.

Their tax rates are only a few percentage points different from ours. I think the difference is that we funnel 20% of it to the military (2% for Norway) and their tax code probably has fewer loopholes for the rich to exploit.

Their total tax burdens are much higher than US citizens' tax burdens unless you're making 7 figures of W-2 income. The top marginal tax rate kicks in an order of magnitude lower in those countries, and hits most of the middle class. In the US, it hits very few people.

Also, the military is 20% of the discretionary budget, but 10% or less of the total budget.

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