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I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

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Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#101

Post by 31reasons »

edw519 wrote: post #14

The good news: If you think you've done the right thing, then you have. Congratulations! The other news: - Your runway is probably 50% of what you think it is. - Your task is probably 200% of what you think it is. - It will take 200% of what you expect to get your first customer. - Your wife will get scared before you do. - Some customers will take forever to pay. - You'll probably have to backtrack on your design /…

You are over dramatizing the bad part. I quit my job exactly a one year ago to make sustainable business developing iPhone apps. I have failed and I am looking for a job BUT the entire year was a lot of fun, I learned a lot. Its not the end of your life if you run out of money for a while. You will add more skills in the worst case. If you are single its easier.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#102

Post by kamaal »

untog wrote: post #20
edw519 wrote: post #14

The good news: If you think you've done the right thing, then you have. Congratulations! The other news: - Your runway is probably 50% of what you think it is. - Your task is probably 200% of what you think it is. - It will take 200% of what you expect to get your first customer. - Your wife will get scared before you do. - Some customers will take forever to pay. - You'll probably have to backtrack on your design /…

I was with you until: In a year, you won't be who you are now. Unless you mean "you will be the wrecked shell of the person you once were", I don't think that making a startup actually changes who you are. We glamorize it, but a lot of people set up their own business every day and don't change a bit.

That's not with respect to start ups, but any 'testing task' in general.

People emerge totally changed individuals during and after times of hardships. During disease, financial difficulties, tough assignments, chasing near impossible goals, during times crisis, turmoil and difficulties.

You get to see who is jealous of you. Who envies you , who admires you, who is ready to help, who discourages you. You learn not just about work, but also a lot about people, places, things and life in general.

That is why some people who go through life threatening diseases, fatal failures, harsh financial conditions are so successful, resilient, self sufficient, motivated and hard working.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#103

Post by kamaal »

MBCook wrote: post #70
thaumaturgy wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment has absolutely no place in this thread. This wasn't the appropriate place to inject your politics.

I don't know, it seems fitting to me. If you ignore the current political mess surrounding that (out of context) statement, it's still true. If you reach any kind of success, you'll find people who will say it wasn't you. You got rich off of someone else's work. You had it all handed to you. Or the most common of all, you got lucky . It doesn't matter that you worked hard, or studied, or failed 50 times before. You w…

Not that I disagree with you.

But some people do as a matter of fact get rich by being at the right place at the right time.

Just like how not all hardworking people are successful. Not all successful people are hardworking. The simplest example I can give you is to be born in a rich family.

That's certainly a cosmic lottery.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#104

Post by kamaal »

guiomie wrote: post #97
robomartin wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. The difference is that Carl Sagan didn't use such comments to instigate and exploit class warfare and divide a country. Carl Sagan didn't use such statements to brainwash the masses for personal gain. Carl Sagan didn't use that statement to mean that a successful baker, today, owes their success to the creation of the universe. We operate within the reality that we happen to live within at the time of our live…

"Did the engineers in the 1940's owe the development of the transistor to the roads, sewers and other services government managed for us? Of course not." Of course yes. Government makes sure we have good life conditions. If you have a government that takes decent care of its people, then those people will strive and innovate, instead of surviving. If government is so bad around here, move to Somalia. Come tell us how…

His point is that it those luxuries applies to everybody. Then why didn't everybody invent transistors?

Given equal conditions, not everyone achieves equally.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#105

Post by kamaal »

guiomie wrote: post #31

"To be successful I have to get out of my comfort zone." ... This is my current mentality (I fear being in my confort zone), glad you share it... Anyone has an opinion on this type of behavior? Is this a good or bad habit on the long term?

No,

Taking risks increases your chances of being successful. Not the only way of being successful.

You will be surprised how many people are rich working in big corporates by just saving and investing well.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#106

Post by a5seo »

guiomie wrote: post #97
robomartin wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. The difference is that Carl Sagan didn't use such comments to instigate and exploit class warfare and divide a country. Carl Sagan didn't use such statements to brainwash the masses for personal gain. Carl Sagan didn't use that statement to mean that a successful baker, today, owes their success to the creation of the universe. We operate within the reality that we happen to live within at the time of our live…

"Did the engineers in the 1940's owe the development of the transistor to the roads, sewers and other services government managed for us? Of course not." Of course yes. Government makes sure we have good life conditions. If you have a government that takes decent care of its people, then those people will strive and innovate, instead of surviving. If government is so bad around here, move to Somalia. Come tell us how…

Are you arguing that Einstein invented the atomic bomb in the US because our infrastructre was better than Germany?

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#107

Post by Choppen5 »

a5seo wrote: post #106
guiomie wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Did the engineers in the 1940's owe the development of the transistor to the roads, sewers and other services government managed for us? Of course not." Of course yes. Government makes sure we have good life conditions. If you have a government that takes decent care of its people, then those people will strive and innovate, instead of surviving. If government is so bad around here, move to Somalia. Come tell us how…

Are you arguing that Einstein invented the atomic bomb in the US because our infrastructre was better than Germany?

Einstein invented the atomic bomb? That's funny. Not very HN level of knowledge there buddy.

And yes.. that is almost exactly the reason (US vs Germany developed the first atomic bomb). 1000x the resources and scientists, applied to a know physical possibility, supported by: the government, and infrastructure via the army.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#108

Post by ktizo »

a5seo wrote: post #106
guiomie wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Did the engineers in the 1940's owe the development of the transistor to the roads, sewers and other services government managed for us? Of course not." Of course yes. Government makes sure we have good life conditions. If you have a government that takes decent care of its people, then those people will strive and innovate, instead of surviving. If government is so bad around here, move to Somalia. Come tell us how…

Are you arguing that Einstein invented the atomic bomb in the US because our infrastructre was better than Germany?

Although he may have developed much of the physics and saw that it was possible, Einstien didn't invent the atomic bomb and he developed the physics before he got to the US.

I think that he is arguing that there are certain things you need to have organised in society to give the space for more advanced development, irrespective of individual brilliance.

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#109

Post by anamax »

ktizo wrote: post #94
anamax wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not so fast. No one questions that other people built roads etc. (Govt didn't provide the resources - it only collected them.) The only way that Obama's comment is not a non sequitur is if he meant more than that, that people who "built" were treated differently than the people who didn't wrt those resources. I get that you think that Obama should be given the benefit of the doubt, but don't other people get that sam…

I have no idea whether or not mental outlook has that effect but we're damning a US senate candidate who said that it did. I don't think that was quite what he said, if you are referring to Tod Akin.

>> I have no idea whether or not mental outlook has that effect but we're damning a US senate candidate who said that it did.

> I don't think that was quite what he said, if you are referring to Tod Akin.

Actually, it was. He said that women who were raped were less likely to concieve. He didn't specify the mechanism, but mental state is the only plausible candidate.

Like I said, a huge fraction of the population believes that mental state affects conception. Moreover, I'll bet that I can find at least one law protecting women that was enacted based, at least partly, on that theory.

Or, do you want to argue that how he said it matters?

Or, do you want to argue that the mental distress associated with rape has different effects than other mental distress?

It was a monumentally stupid thing to say, but not because of the scientific truth or lack thereof.

And, if a Democrat had said it, it wouldn't have been an issue and you'd have defended said Democrat. See, for example, the near-daily gaffes of VP Biden. Or, Obama's "you didn't build that".

Re: I did the scariest thing I can imagine: I resigned

#110

Post by javert »

ktizo wrote: post #100
javert wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I said, I looked up the speech (again - just to make sure - as I had already looked it up before), and taken in full context, I think me means that if you have a business, you didn't build that business. His actual, broader point is that you can't take credit for building a business or claim to own it or deserve its profits, because you built upon a foundation of capital, infrastructure, and knowledge that was the…

To interpret his comment any other way than I did, is to ignore the broader ideological context. Is more to ignore the rest of the speech. He goes on to say - "The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together." - which doesn't sound as though he is claiming that you can't take credit for building a business, just that you can't take all the…

doesn't sound as though he is claiming that you can't take credit for building a business, just that you can't take all the credit.

Yes, he's saying you can't take all the credit, which means that you can't "take credit" for it.

Taking credit has an implied "all the", as in, "take [all the] credit."

This distinction actually matters. Obama is taking something absolute -- This is my business, these are my profits -- and turning it into something vague. That vagueness leaves plenty of room for all kinds of government controls and taxes.

In fact, contra Obama, if you built a business, it is rightly your business, along with all of the profits (and all of the credit).

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