Tell HN: How to get back at your start-up husband

I mention briefly about my girlfriends support and care during my trials here:

http://lookingbackaretrospective.posterous.com

Only mentioned in a few of the later chapters, but she was always supportive and always urged me to do what I felt was right. She was constantly by my side for the bad, as well as the occasional good.

For any "Startup Significant Others" out there, your support means more than you realize!

What drives me to start ups is something like self-expression. There's no-one else's expectations to worry about, just my own big ones (which exceeds the investors' :-). The feeling when those expectations are even partially fulfilled is amazing. And every little step forward feeds the feeling, whether it's finishing yet another investor pitch deck revision to walking out from a successful meeting to the big ones like signing a customer and maybe even exiting.

With regards to spouses; I've so far been one of the lucky one's to have a supporting spouse and kids whom have gone through the ups and downs with me. It's not easy for them, but I suppose they also partially feel the excitement and anticipation of a breakthrough.

Nowadays it might also help that they know there's a reward for them too. After my first exit I bought and renovated a house and after the second we took a few weeks luxury around the world trip. Which leads me to the question for you Christeen; What was your reward? A chance to start your own startup?

Thanks.

The original idea started in 2006 while I was working with Eight Media, which I had founded together with Daniel Spronk (spazmaster). After hacking away at a prototype for a while we presented our MVP to a live audience in London in 2007. The response was overwhelming, we got serious about it. Found an angel willing to invest.

Then in 2009 Daniel went back to focus on Eight.nl while I kept going with Soocial. Looking back I think it was much harder without Daniel as a co-founder than I expected. It makes such a big difference to have someone there to bounce idea's, make decisions together and just have the support of someone else who's just as involved and committed.

Very much agree with PG's statement that although possible as a single founder, you're chances of success are less.

Your blog is brilliant. Thanks for posting it here. (I realize that's sort of unnecessary but in case you doubt plugging it in the future, don't. It's actually really good.)

One of the cool side effects I'm expecting from christeen starting this is that through her experience she'll understand me better. Looking back I hope she can place into perspective all the ups and downs that startup-life brings.

And I hope I'll be able to understand better what she's going through.

With all pleasure :)