My advice is keep working on it. But work as much as you can even if its for a couple of hours per weekend. You'll eventually finish it. I've seen a lot of projects get done that way. Also, don't damage your health because you need to have a clear and healthy mind to successfully build and run a startup! If you think you're over doing it, take time off and get back to it later. Just don't give up ;)
Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
41–50 of 102 posts
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#42Is the idea behind the app validated ? Has your partner talked with the potential customers ? Is the problem you're solving really an important problem ? Have you already built an MVP ? I've been in similar situations where my non-tech friends ask me to start dev work on their ideas. My response usually to them is to find 10 customers willing to pay even before the product exists. So the bottom line is that you shoul…
Moar this. I've been in situations where the "idea" was driven by the "marketing guy," and it did not turn out well for me or my other technical partner. When I saw the writing on the wall, I called a meeting and told them I didn't see the pay off of what we were doing and they were free to continue with my contributions. They sold a total of like $100 worth of apps after working on the project for another 10 months.
The last sentence sounds familiar to me: I built a fully-functional MVP over a few hundred hours. My partner, a family member, was going to sell it. I picked the niche because it's not very SEO-friendly and so he, being completely non-technical, had something to contribute.
He made ~6 sales in 1 month, never lifted a finger in the ~14 months since.
The app has run smoothly with virtually zero intervention on my part, so that was a win, at least. We have a couple of customers remaining.
At least you got out early, I guess?
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#43(Using a throwaway account for this...)
I got burnt out a Big Company. The politics, idiocy and short-sightedness finally got to me. I felt sick, couldn't get up in the morning at all. One day, I decided to just quit. They didn't believe me at first; but I insisted. So they had to let me go.
I had some money saved up (I am a saver, so that helps). Been out of work for more than a year; living in SF and just playing with whatever catches my fancy. Docker, Hadoop, ML, Go, etc. etc. I attend interesting meetups; go to talks, etc. I'm enjoying every minute of it!
In a few months I'll probably go back to work, but this past year has been the best year of my (adult) life.
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#44Is the idea behind the app validated ? Has your partner talked with the potential customers ? Is the problem you're solving really an important problem ? Have you already built an MVP ? I've been in similar situations where my non-tech friends ask me to start dev work on their ideas. My response usually to them is to find 10 customers willing to pay even before the product exists. So the bottom line is that you shoul…
Laex makes a valid point.
I would suggest you stop and take a day off before you get fully burnt out.
There is no sense in spending all this time and energy on a product you haven't even validated especially before you've launched.
You could spend years making the "perfect product" without ever knowing if the product is something someone will purchase. Or you could ship a minimum viable product and test whether your product is something someone will purchase.
Eric Ries talks about the minimum viable product in his book "The Lean Startup", which I would highly recommend. I think it would help you and your marketing partner get some much needed context to your situation.
Good luck!
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#45Sometimes, the best way to accomplish your goals is to work nonstop. Sometimes, it's more productive to dial back and make a long, sustained effort. Sometimes, the thing you're working on isn't worth the effort, so you do something else. No matter what you choose, I strongly recommend you talk to your buddy. Don't vent, but try to help him understand what you're going through. Tell him what needs to change, and be co…
This is my approach to managing a full-time job and being the technical co-founder of a SaaS product.
I spent 8 months working non-stop (12-14 hour days, 7 days a week). It was extremely challenging and I came very close to burning out, but it paid off in the end.
After we hit MVP and had 10 paying customers, I made a very conscious decision to move towards a long-term effort.
Today, I feel much more confident about my ability to continue doing what I'm doing long term.
Talk to your co-founders, but remember that at the end of the day it's up to you to look out for yourself.
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#46One can keep digging to understand if it is worth all your efforts. But neither you or your team can be 100% sure about it. Thats why SteveJ said, you cannot connect dots looking forward.
I do meditation and it has done wonders for me. You should give a try.
http://www.ishafoundation.org/Ishakriya/Learn-online
-NJ
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#47What does "bad with time" mean?
Are you working 70 hours/week on the project? Or work + project?
Either way, definitely stop what you're doing. Work less.
Also, "it hasn't felt like a partnership at all" -- is that to say he's not working on the project? I'd cease the partnership. I was in this situation recently, with a family member whom I trust. If they can't motivate themselves to work on it now, in its infancy, I can assure you they won't find the motivation later.
If you like the idea, "buy them out" or strike out on your own.
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#48I quit my job, sold my house, sold all my stuff and moved to a lazy beach town near the equator. Never felt happier, never felt more rested, never thought as clearly as I do now. Totally not answering you question when it comes to finishing the project, but sometimes you just have to call it quits because your health is more important than yet-another-website. If you are ever in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico -- gi…
Maybe this should be another Ask-HN question... How do you escape the rat race? What are the logistics? Cost of living? Taxes? Immigration? etc...
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#49I quit my job, sold my house, sold all my stuff and moved to a lazy beach town near the equator. Never felt happier, never felt more rested, never thought as clearly as I do now. Totally not answering you question when it comes to finishing the project, but sometimes you just have to call it quits because your health is more important than yet-another-website. If you are ever in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico -- gi…
Do you speak Spanish??
Not GP, but I moved to Costa Rica for a few months in 2013.
Depending where you go, you can get away with very little to no English.
I was in a (tiny) surfing town, Playa Grande. It gets a lot of foreign surfers, and so all the locals speak English. Many ex-pats live there year-round. Nearby is Tamarindo, very similar there, and a much bigger town.
I can order food and ask for directions and have basic conversations in spanish, if they slow down for me--but I found speaking spanish was always just for fun, and virtually never a necessity.
Re: Ask HN: What to do if you are ridiculously burnt out?
#50Marketers usually won't understand what it takes to build a tech product. So, you need to make them understand that writing code requires solving complex problems and it takes time. Even the best programmers can't build shit overnight!
In fact you are the Rockstar of the project and it should stay that way (not taking credit away from your marketer partner). You guys should talk this over drinks. Without the right camaraderie no startup has ever succeeded.
PS: I am not a programmer