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I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#31

Post by patryn20 »

pg wrote: post #7

I believe it. Oddly enough, it's lonely even when there are a couple of you. This is one of the main reasons we do YC in batches. The startups all become one another's friends, because they're all in the same situation. I think it's well worth the inconvenience of moving in order to have a large group of energetic and sympathetic peers. That's the deal with college, after all.

See, I wish there was a service like Y Combinator just for meeting co-founders. It is hard for people who are in non-tech areas (or at least, non-startup-friendly areas) or middle-tier public universities to meet people to start companies with.

Personally, I have been trying to get picked up by a startup so I have an excuse and a means to move to a better area. How would others here recommend meeting people?

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#32

Post by extantproject »

pg wrote: post #7

I believe it. Oddly enough, it's lonely even when there are a couple of you. This is one of the main reasons we do YC in batches. The startups all become one another's friends, because they're all in the same situation. I think it's well worth the inconvenience of moving in order to have a large group of energetic and sympathetic peers. That's the deal with college, after all.

YC physically creates that sort of group of peers. For those of us that choose not to make it out, YC News is fostering something similar on the web. It's not a replacement, but it's a good conversation starter. We might even see some startups from founders meeting online through YC News. Have there been any examples of this so far?

Speaking of which: extantproject at gmail dot com if anyone out there would like to throw some ideas around.

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#33

Post by extantproject »

patryn20 wrote: post #31
pg wrote: post #7

I believe it. Oddly enough, it's lonely even when there are a couple of you. This is one of the main reasons we do YC in batches. The startups all become one another's friends, because they're all in the same situation. I think it's well worth the inconvenience of moving in order to have a large group of energetic and sympathetic peers. That's the deal with college, after all.

See, I wish there was a service like Y Combinator just for meeting co-founders. It is hard for people who are in non-tech areas (or at least, non-startup-friendly areas) or middle-tier public universities to meet people to start companies with. Personally, I have been trying to get picked up by a startup so I have an excuse and a means to move to a better area. How would others here recommend meeting people?

I think talking to people in YC News comments works:

extantproject at gmail dot com if you want to throw some ideas around

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#34

Post by horar »

PindaxDotCom wrote: post #6

When I get lonely, all I need to think about is some of the more annoying folks I've had to work with over the years. God bless em. A few minutes remembering their antics, and I appreciate my solitude anew.

I tend to think of the people who were made uncomfortable by my antics instead, but I feel a similar sense of relief to be free of them. I've often found comfort in the H.G.Wells short story "The Country of the Blind".

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#35

Post by jadams »

dropbox wrote: post #25
pg wrote: post #7

I believe it. Oddly enough, it's lonely even when there are a couple of you. This is one of the main reasons we do YC in batches. The startups all become one another's friends, because they're all in the same situation. I think it's well worth the inconvenience of moving in order to have a large group of energetic and sympathetic peers. That's the deal with college, after all.

i've been in this situation before and in general, i agree. and there's a similar kind of suckage being the only technical guy in a startup (i've run a startup for a couple years with a non-technical guy -- smart, but not a hacker.) in my case, i'm working on a new idea alone at the moment while i find the right cofounder. i've found that a good compromise that still allows you forward progress is to hang out with pe…

Good advice! The biggest mistake I've made in past businesses is to try to do it all alone. That's a recipe for having it fizzle out into an undead hobby project.

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#36

Post by juwo »

bootload wrote: post #28
juwo wrote: post #17

you struck a chord here, buddy! you are absolutely right. That's why I like news.YC so much - clean wholesome fun. A watering hole for entrepreneur animals. If you are looking for a cofounder, email me.

'... clean wholesome fun. A watering hole for entrepreneur animals ...' love that quote. Someones whacked up a 'search for co-founder site' ... can't remember where.

thank you!

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#37

Post by whacked_new »

extantproject wrote: post #33
patryn20 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See, I wish there was a service like Y Combinator just for meeting co-founders. It is hard for people who are in non-tech areas (or at least, non-startup-friendly areas) or middle-tier public universities to meet people to start companies with. Personally, I have been trying to get picked up by a startup so I have an excuse and a means to move to a better area. How would others here recommend meeting people?

I think talking to people in YC News comments works: extantproject at gmail dot com if you want to throw some ideas around

startup idea right there.

Re: I will tell you why it's so freaking hard for single founders: It's so freaking lonely

#38

Post by extantproject »

whacked_new wrote: post #37
extantproject wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think talking to people in YC News comments works: extantproject at gmail dot com if you want to throw some ideas around

startup idea right there.

Yes! I've recently learned not to be overcritical about my ideas. They really are worthless. Execution is where it's at.
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