11–20 of 36 posts
> "sometimes, a coffee can mean the world." It's true--I can definitely still remember small but sincere acts of kindness that I've received from friends or acquaintances over the years. Seriously, the $8 it costs to buy some overpriced coffee and the value of a half hour of your time are repaid many times over by the gratitude the other person feels and the good you'll have done for their life.
I thought this was going to be a modern fuckedcompany replacement. Have to admit, I was little disappointed.
Are there any sites around now like a modern fuckedcompany? The current startup world is definitely missing one of those. I guess we can look forward to that new HBO comedy, Silicon Valley from Mike Judge.
op, you're using Gmail to send emails to new users. Bad idea. Google will catch on soon and ban you. I'd switch to another provider asap.
Not OP, but curious. Please elaborate? Does Google not like if it is used as a SMTP service, by startups? Also, any suggestions for mail providers?
There are lots of people who could use somebody to talk to when things get stressful, and there are lots of more stressful situations than running a startup.
This just seems to reinforce the privileged status thing. I'd consider it crass if you set up a 'Harvard graduates hotline' too.
Why does it have to be startup-specific? There are lots of people who could use somebody to talk to when things get stressful, and there are lots of more stressful situations than running a startup. This just seems to reinforce the privileged status thing. I'd consider it crass if you set up a 'Harvard graduates hotline' too.
So I don't think it's about status, I think it's just that they have a limited amount of time and first try to help the people that they are likely to be the most helpful to.
Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Startups Anonymous. I think it's a great idea and I wished I'd had that a few months ago...
op, you're using Gmail to send emails to new users. Bad idea. Google will catch on soon and ban you. I'd switch to another provider asap.
Not OP, but curious. Please elaborate? Does Google not like if it is used as a SMTP service, by startups? Also, any suggestions for mail providers?
I am torn. On the one hand, running a startup is a very stressful experience even when things go relatively well. And they almost never do, so it's usually plain hell. It's great to have somewhere to turn to even if it's just to vent. On the other hand, I can't help but think that self-pity is getting a bit out of hand in our community lately. Startups aren't a sickness (unlike alcoholism for example). Starting one i…
I listen to them like I've wanted to be listened to, offer validation if they seem to want it. ("Yeah, that level of 'insanity' is completely normal, I've seen it. Fear of financial doom changes people, brings out the worst in them. You've clearly gone out of your way change things, and they just insult you, so you don't owe them. And their strategy sounds fucked to me too.")
Then I ask my network to help them at trouble-points. Worried your investor's pulling out because your great CTO's legally tied up for a couple months and can only work nights? I'm emailing people that night, and we're meeting that insightful contractor together tomorrow. (And my network is pretty small, but it's increasingly getting get the job done.)
And I'll remember that you know an effective lawyer, and will probably want to find good people with domain experience in X in a few months... There are just so many open connections left hanging in the universe, and it takes so little effort to nudge them together.
So basically, sympathy helps everyone. I don't care if people dismiss complex internal forces as "self-pity." I don't buy into that hyperindividualism that we just need to tough it out without help.
op, you're using Gmail to send emails to new users. Bad idea. Google will catch on soon and ban you. I'd switch to another provider asap.