Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#1

Post by ilyaovchinnikov » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 8:34 PM UTC

Hi friends, I've been making attempts for over 4 years now to make money from my pet-project and finally leave my job and never think of it again. I do small saas and. online projects (sites under amazon).

But I am saddened by the fact that I invest hundreds, thousands of hours of my personal time, spent 5 000$ on testing, experiments with advertising, quit my job, worked fulltime for the last year - and still still never managed to earn. My result is only $200. Heck, in all 4 years. I want to live this life, to see the beauty of the world - but instead I spend my life working hard and trying to pluck a star from the sky. I want to finally live this life. To be free.

I have a question for the community? Where do you find the strength to keep going? What keeps you going and energizes you? I'm tired of trying, the work seems endless. I am grateful for everyone's advice.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#2

Post by alain94040 » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:10 PM UTC

After 4 years of $0, I'm not sure it's a matter of finding the strength to keep going. Something in your target market doesn't seem to be working out.

If you can, find experienced friends that are willing to tell you the ugly truth about your business effort. Talk more to your potential customers. Did you just happen to pick the wrong market?

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#3

Post by zabzonk » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:11 PM UTC

if no-one wants what you have produced, which seems to be the case here, produce something else. or find yourself a full-time job doing something that you enjoy. i don't see any other alternatives.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#4

Post by sorokod » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:12 PM UTC

An older monk and a novice were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.
The two monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman.
Then, without a word, the older monk picked up the woman, carried her across the river and placed her gently on the other side and carried on his journey.
The novice couldn’t believe what had just happened. After rejoining his companion, he was speechless, and an hour passed without a word between them.
Two more hours passed, then three, finally the novice could contain himself any longer, and blurted out “As monks, we are not permitted to touch a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

The older monk looked at him and replied, “Brother, I set her down on the other side of the river a while ago, why are you still carrying her?”

Hope it doesn't look patronizing and helps.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#5

Post by riku_iki » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:12 PM UTC

Diversify and find some reasonable balance:

1. XX% of life is dedicated to chasing your startup ideas

2. YY% of life is dedicated to earning bread and butter (salary work, contracts, not necessary stable and continuous)

3. ZZ% of life is dedicated to what you enjoy: hobbies, time with family, travels

You can try to combine (1) and (3), aka try to build life style business in the area you have passion.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#6

Post by candiddevmike » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:12 PM UTC

Hopefully you learned a lot or made a product/code you personally find useful/reusable.

For me personally, any side project I make scratches an itch I have so at the end of the day, if it flops, I'll still use it.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#7

Post by imperialdrive » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:13 PM UTC

Life is just hard. I don't know how folks managed 50 years ago, 100 years, 500+ years, it was just our ability to keep pushing through the mud, the cold nights, the loneliness, sometimes letting a glimpse of a beautiful day or sparkling night be enough to keep going.

Someone told me that life and work and relationships are sometimes just pushing everything you have in a giant deep dark hole in the ground, and every now and then, something pops back out. If you're lucky, it makes it all worth it. The only way to know is to keep trying. Maybe you'll give up on all your hard work and be even more depressed, but eventually get a job that doesn't even seem good, but then the days get better and better and one night you feel pretty darn good before bed and your realize all that behind you was just part of the journey, and it's ok. Let yourself feel sad, doubt, fear, get it out, behind you, make room for the good. You will discover it, I'm sure of it. If it's really hard to keep going, then you're on the right path. Life just is not easy! Gl

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#8

Post by fear91 » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:14 PM UTC

This might sound harsh, but:

Maybe the wise choice is to change the path? That feeling of resignation, while a bitter pill to swallow, might be a good thing in the end. I used to beat myself over for not working hard and dedicating myself to my ideas, yet a few years down the line it became obvious the startups I wanted to build would have been made obsolete by other tech. I've dodged a few wasted years, a burnout or straight-up insanity right there. Trust your gut.

Why do something you are not enjoying? Life is short, it might end faster than you think. The people close to you can also disappear sooner than you think. Try to make the most of it. It's not all about making it big and being successful/rich.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#9

Post by ilyaovchinnikov » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:19 PM UTC

imperialdrive wrote: post #7

Life is just hard. I don't know how folks managed 50 years ago, 100 years, 500+ years, it was just our ability to keep pushing through the mud, the cold nights, the loneliness, sometimes letting a glimpse of a beautiful day or sparkling night be enough to keep going. Someone told me that life and work and relationships are sometimes just pushing everything you have in a giant deep dark hole in the ground, and every n…

Thank you, that's inspiring as hell. I guess that's the way it is.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#10

Post by riku_iki » Sun, Feb 25, 2024, 9:20 PM UTC

alain94040 wrote: post #2

After 4 years of $0, I'm not sure it's a matter of finding the strength to keep going. Something in your target market doesn't seem to be working out. If you can, find experienced friends that are willing to tell you the ugly truth about your business effort. Talk more to your potential customers. Did you just happen to pick the wrong market?

I think all markets are currently saturated. What market do you think is easily available for solo hustlers?