Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses • Hacker News Board

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#101

Post by endisneigh » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

Sebb767 wrote: post #97

endisneigh wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There aren't that many entrepreneurs who failed multiple times before succeeding at a business. If you look at the big businesses that dominate the US tech economy, they're all first time founders (Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft etc). For this analysis to be complete you'd have to look at all companies, not an arbitrary selection of tech companies. Furthermore, tech is unique (and so is the list of your companies…

> Amazon - It's true the name was the same, but the company pre and post 1998 (Amazon as a bookstore, and then Amazon as an ecommerce site, and then the development of what is known as AWS in the early 2000s) was fundamentally different. The only real similarity is the name. > Apple - Similar to Amazon in that Apple as a name and company had continuity from now to its beginning, but Steve Jobs started Next which you…

The point I was addressing was "Rich kids can afford many throws." in the grandparent. The parent post doesn't really change what the main point of the grandparent is, which is that rich people get more chances.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#102

Post by jabroni_salad » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

blueprint wrote: post #81

FlyingSnake wrote: post #8

Entrepreneurship is like one of those carnival games where you throw darts or something. Middle class kids can afford one throw. Most miss. A few hit the target and get a small prize. A very few hit the center bullseye and get a bigger prize. Rags to riches! The American Dream lives on. Rich kids can afford many throws. If they want to, they can try over and over and over again until they hit something and feel good…

what universe do you live in where someone making gte 100k working the carnival is poor?

The median income in the USA is 41k.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#103

Post by ryder9 » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:47 PM UTC

saliagato wrote: post #16

throwaway8456 wrote: post #10

I started, boostrapped and sold a SaaS business. By most standards, this was a resounding success. I won't have to work again ever if I don't want to. This being my first company, I was obsessed with it. Towards the end, I burnt myself out, I had neglected my wife and kids for years, and I was just so miserable. I used to love programming, but I could not concentrate anymore. I started developing resentment against t…

“ I have definitely lost a few years of life expectancy “ Why? Genuinely curious. Stress can lower life expectancy?

[dead]

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#104

Post by treis » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:48 PM UTC

endisneigh wrote: post #40

revelio wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A nice analogy but it doesn't work. There aren't that many entrepreneurs who failed multiple times before succeeding at a business. If you look at the big businesses that dominate the US tech economy, they're all first time founders (Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft etc). There are also very few entrepreneurs bootstrapping their own business. Even rich kids go to VC, they aren't usually risking their own funds. Final…

> There aren't that many entrepreneurs who failed multiple times before succeeding at a business. If you look at the big businesses that dominate the US tech economy, they're all first time founders (Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft etc). For this analysis to be complete you'd have to look at all companies, not an arbitrary selection of tech companies. Furthermore, tech is unique (and so is the list of your companies…

Gates had one other company that he founded at 17 before starting Microsoft at 20.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#105

Post by mportela » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:51 PM UTC

rozenmd wrote: post #11

I wanted to document a regular person's experience building a business while working full time, it wasn't until the end of my third year before I made my first dollar from a stranger on the internet: year 1: https://maxrozen.com/2018-review-starting-an-internet-busine... year 2: https://maxrozen.com/2019-further-reflections-trying-to-star... year 3: https://maxrozen.com/indiehacking-3-year-review year 4: https://maxr…

Great story and write ups. Thanks for sharing it!

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#106

Post by nightski » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:52 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #86

nightski wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The world will never be fair, I'm not even sure that is an ideal goal. The best things in my life have come from when I faced adversity, not when I was in a position of privilege. While opportunities are not always equal in quality or number, there are opportunities if you seek them. It's ironic that even though lots of things come down to luck, it's very possible to put oneself in a position that makes it feel like…

If fairness is not an "ideal goal" what is? > The best things in my life have come from when I faced adversity, not when I was in a position of privilege Does that hold for kids hungry and unable to finish school because their parents don't make enough then? (Or much worse situations)?

To remove barriers and give people a chance to achieve what they desire (if they desire). That doesn't mean everyone will have the same opportunities and/or the same circumstances.

And no it doesn't, this is not an argument against assistance programs.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#107

Post by NineStarPoint » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:55 PM UTC

saliagato wrote: post #16

throwaway8456 wrote: post #10

I started, boostrapped and sold a SaaS business. By most standards, this was a resounding success. I won't have to work again ever if I don't want to. This being my first company, I was obsessed with it. Towards the end, I burnt myself out, I had neglected my wife and kids for years, and I was just so miserable. I used to love programming, but I could not concentrate anymore. I started developing resentment against t…

“ I have definitely lost a few years of life expectancy “ Why? Genuinely curious. Stress can lower life expectancy?

It definitely does, but even a decade of high stress vs not having to worry about money for the rest of your life could be a very fair stress trade.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#108

Post by FlyingSnake » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:56 PM UTC

saliagato wrote: post #16

throwaway8456 wrote: post #10

I started, boostrapped and sold a SaaS business. By most standards, this was a resounding success. I won't have to work again ever if I don't want to. This being my first company, I was obsessed with it. Towards the end, I burnt myself out, I had neglected my wife and kids for years, and I was just so miserable. I used to love programming, but I could not concentrate anymore. I started developing resentment against t…

“ I have definitely lost a few years of life expectancy “ Why? Genuinely curious. Stress can lower life expectancy?

Our physiology is not built to work under sustained high stress and a constrained environment like fast moving startups can have long term health effects.

1: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693771-the-body-keeps-...

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#109

Post by detourdog » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:56 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #86

nightski wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The world will never be fair, I'm not even sure that is an ideal goal. The best things in my life have come from when I faced adversity, not when I was in a position of privilege. While opportunities are not always equal in quality or number, there are opportunities if you seek them. It's ironic that even though lots of things come down to luck, it's very possible to put oneself in a position that makes it feel like…

If fairness is not an "ideal goal" what is? > The best things in my life have come from when I faced adversity, not when I was in a position of privilege Does that hold for kids hungry and unable to finish school because their parents don't make enough then? (Or much worse situations)?

The hard thing to understand about privilege is that it may have just as many constrictions as having nothing. They are different but can be every bit as challenging to a good life.

Re: Entrepreneurs who regret starting businesses

#110

Post by david38 » Tue, Apr 04, 2023, 1:57 PM UTC

FlyingSnake wrote: post #8

Entrepreneurship is like one of those carnival games where you throw darts or something. Middle class kids can afford one throw. Most miss. A few hit the target and get a small prize. A very few hit the center bullseye and get a bigger prize. Rags to riches! The American Dream lives on. Rich kids can afford many throws. If they want to, they can try over and over and over again until they hit something and feel good…

Funny how this doesn’t apply to immigrants. Being lower, middle, upper class is mostly a mindset that dictates your tolerance for risk. Immigrants of the same income level as US born have a far higher tolerance.