All or something (2009)
37signals.com
All or something (2009)
1–10 of 70 posts
Re: All or something (2009)
#2I've been critical of seeing so many 37Signals posts around here lately but this one really is a true gem! He's right, there's this idea that you just have to work 24/7 and have no life to be a success. Businesses aren't cool but startups are. What's the difference? These days the difference is one is cool and the other isn't. One makes you think of the 20-something hipster genius loner hacker and the other makes you picture a boring mediocre person who didn't have the balls to do a startup so he starts a "business" (eww, gross, right?).
Re: All or something (2009)
#3I've been critical of seeing so many 37Signals posts around here lately but this one really is a true gem! He's right, there's this idea that you just have to work 24/7 and have no life to be a success. Businesses aren't cool but startups are. What's the difference? These days the difference is one is cool and the other isn't. One makes you think of the 20-something hipster genius loner hacker and the other makes you…
Business => J-O-B
Job seems to be a four letter word in some circles...
Re: All or something (2009)
#4CH blog post comment is so true (can't hard link to it):
There is a fundamental difference in philosophy here.
Some startups work 24/7 because they are “swinging for
the fences” (to use a baseball analogy).
Where other startups, like yourself [37signals] back in
the day, are content with simply hitting “singles”.
....
Here’s the philosophical difference, you can live a good
life on hitting singles, but you’ll never become filthy
rich unless you swing for the fences.Re: All or something (2009)
#5CH blog post comment is so true (can't hard link to it): There is a fundamental difference in philosophy here. Some startups work 24/7 because they are “swinging for the fences” (to use a baseball analogy). Where other startups, like yourself [37signals] back in the day, are content with simply hitting “singles”. .... Here’s the philosophical difference, you can live a good life on hitting singles, but you’ll never b…
DHH seems to have gotten plenty "filthy rich" hitting singles: http://david.heinemeierhansson.com/racing
People who swing for the fences generally fly out to shallow center. You can score lots of runs hitting single after single after single.
Re: All or something (2009)
#6CH blog post comment is so true (can't hard link to it): There is a fundamental difference in philosophy here. Some startups work 24/7 because they are “swinging for the fences” (to use a baseball analogy). Where other startups, like yourself [37signals] back in the day, are content with simply hitting “singles”. .... Here’s the philosophical difference, you can live a good life on hitting singles, but you’ll never b…
Does commissioning a custom supercar not count as filthy rich? What can Mark Zuckerberg buy that Jason Fried and DHH cannot? The big difference is that 37signals didn't make a bunch of VCs filthy rich, just themselves.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/07/pagani-zonda-hh-commissio...
Re: All or something (2009)
#7CH blog post comment is so true (can't hard link to it): There is a fundamental difference in philosophy here. Some startups work 24/7 because they are “swinging for the fences” (to use a baseball analogy). Where other startups, like yourself [37signals] back in the day, are content with simply hitting “singles”. .... Here’s the philosophical difference, you can live a good life on hitting singles, but you’ll never b…
DHH seems to have gotten plenty "filthy rich" hitting singles: http://david.heinemeierhansson.com/racing People who swing for the fences generally fly out to shallow center. You can score lots of runs hitting single after single after single.
Having a sports car fits into the "you can live a good life on hitting singles".
Having your own private jet, is when you're filthy rich.
Re: All or something (2009)
#8CH blog post comment is so true (can't hard link to it): There is a fundamental difference in philosophy here. Some startups work 24/7 because they are “swinging for the fences” (to use a baseball analogy). Where other startups, like yourself [37signals] back in the day, are content with simply hitting “singles”. .... Here’s the philosophical difference, you can live a good life on hitting singles, but you’ll never b…
Does commissioning a custom supercar not count as filthy rich? What can Mark Zuckerberg buy that Jason Fried and DHH cannot? The big difference is that 37signals didn't make a bunch of VCs filthy rich, just themselves. http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/07/pagani-zonda-hh-commissio...
Having a sports car fits into the "you can live a good life on hitting singles".
Having your own private jet, is when you're filthy rich.
Re: All or something (2009)
#9This, to me, is the best counterpoint I've read to Michael Arrington's rant from a few months back on how startup folk need to work harder and stop crying.
http://uncrunched.com/2011/11/27/startups-are-hard-so-work-m...
Arrington is a romantic, and he believes passionately in the romantic mythos of the startup world. That's what drew him to the valley to start TechCrunch in the first place. And that view of the world is warped as hell.
The key is you've just got to match the level of effort you're willing to give to the level of effort required to achieve the goal you've set out for yourself. Not all goals -- including entrepreneurial goals -- require a 120 hour a week personal commitment to succeed.
Re: All or something (2009)
#10I think there's a general myth that you can't have your cake and eat it. Startup - work 24/7 or it'll tank. Work for a corporate - work 24/7 or you won't get noticed and be in the typing pool your entire life. Work in finance - work 24/7 or you'll miss the deal that makes you millions.
The irony is, most people (but by no means all) actually realise that balance is important at a certain point and scale back willingly. The startup boom is no different from people starting small home businesses like they've done for years. We've slapped on a sexy name, told people you can become one of the world's richest people but fundamentally, it's the same as making pies in your kitchen. Some people will be happy making pies for the local market, others will want a deal to get them into a supermarket.
There's space for everyone, you just need to find the level that makes you happy. In my opinion ;)