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Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

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Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#151

Post by tsunamifury »

irl_zebra wrote: post #142
tsunamifury wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What you're describing is obsession and it can be even more dangerous that just plain old greed. However I find myself saying the same thing sometimes...

In what way is "enjoy[ing] the prospect of potentially denting the universe a bit" obsession? Are you saying that being motivated by things other than finances is obsessive?

No, but the dent in the universe requires obsession. If you think you can be balanced and accomplish this you don't know the source of that quote.

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#152

Post by mockingbirdy »

mockingbirdy wrote: post #123
oldandlesswise wrote: post #49

An interesting article; i was reading the replies to this. So here is my take. A UK 40++ entrepreneur. I have been there and done that - made good £££ from the first boom in 2000. Since then tried a couple of startups all of which failed, for one reason or another. Sadly we did burn through quite a lot of investor £££ in the process and gained no personal value other than experience. What I think I have learned is th…

I'm 20 years old and have a web and design agency with a co-founder and currently two employees (+ flexible workers). I can relate. When I was younger (I know how this sounds) I read "The Lean Startup" and drank the Koolaid. I was feeling like a failure because I wasn't building the next big thing (tm) although I had an IQ of 152 and wrote code since ages. I think that some aspects of the startup bubble can be seriou…

I like the egalitarian nature of the community which discourages people from talking about aspects which are only there to fuel their feeling of self-entitlement (like IQ). If I didn't say that I think that my potential is there based on IQ, there wouldn't be a downvote.

It's very telling. HN can be an unforgiven environment for specific topics such as problems with pride, ego and self-reflection. But on the other hand, it's just a downvote.

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#153

Post by billmalarky »

shanghaiaway wrote: post #111
koonsolo wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve Blank has an awesome anecdote on this: https://steveblank.com/2016/09/07/working-hard-is-not-the-sa... "Our team knows this isn’t a 9-5 company. We stay as long as it takes to get the job done." “Let’s just wait across the street from your company’s parking lot and watch the front door." "a first trickle of employees left. I asked, “Are these your VPs and senior managers?” He nodded looking surprised and kept w…

American work culture, always trying to please the boss.

Haha you should do some research on Japanese work culture and how it relates to leaving after the boss.

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#154

Post by jtolmar »

icedchai wrote: post #149
mjirv wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is key. I suspect one could start a really effective startup (while paying significantly below market for good talent) with a policy like "work six hours from 10-4 and then leave to do something that recharges you." In practice that's what many engineers (and some non-engineers) would be doing anyway whether or not they're physically in the office.

Anyone with talent knows they can go get full pay in exchange for BSing for another couple hours a day and taking a long lunch. Easier to save that money and plan for early retirement. We need to see a gradual reduction in expected working hours in the US. 30 is a good target.

Different people have different priorities; someone whose top priority is early retirement would take the extra BS hours, but someone who wants to have more free time now might take the company that offers shorter hours.

There's an advantage to a company offering shorter hours as long as there are fewer such jobs than there are people who want them.

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#155

Post by bytematic »

EGreg wrote: post #126
Nokinside wrote: post #93

Requiring proposals and updates written down is a good idea. If you allow people to bring up an issue or proposal that they have not already written up in the meeting, someone always comes up with idea on the spot, and tries argue it as something well thought. If they are clever people they can throw the whole meeting off. For the loudest voice in the room problem, speaking order that starts from the most junior and…

The Jewish Sanhedrin used it 2000-3000 years ago, starting from the most junior people.

Interesting, I never thought about the merits. Rome would have a very different history if they did this, I would love to know that alternative

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#156

Post by runjake »

kareemm wrote: post #122
rimliu wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once again this reminds me how Basecamp was build in 10 hours a week . https://twitter.com/dhh/status/870596974428508160

Basecamp was built 14 years ago. There was less competition and 37S a massive marketing channel. No disrespect to them but it was a different world.

So you're saying it's virtually impossible?

You're right, it was a different world. A different world entrenched in J2EE, ColdFusion, and classic ASP.

And yet, he/they came in and disrupted things with "10 hours a week" and a few good ideas.

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#157

Post by newen »

ErikAugust wrote: post #143
fsloth wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"One of the ironies for me of people who slave away with the hope of scoring the jackpot," There are other reasons as well to work hard. Some people enjoy the prospect of potentially denting the universe a bit. But yes, if financial gratification and financial gratification alone is the goal it's a tad silly.

Is a “dented universe” an admirable goal? Seems vague, and selfish. I get people want to make some sort of impact while they are here, but let’s also admit that that is driven by the ego.

Yes? Isn't making a dent in the universe what everyone is trying to do? What else is there in life? Just surviving until you die?

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#158

Post by [deleted] »

mooreds wrote: post #94
austenallred wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I think I have learned is that building a small business with around 5-10 people and making a regular salary of £200k a year is a much more enjoyable existence than trying for the millions and never quite getting there. But what if you get there?

Would you rather have a 1% chance of $100M/year or a 99% chance of $200k/year? If all one thinks about is the math, they'd take the chance at 100M, because it is a higher number when multipled by the probability. But you can't pay a mortgage with a probability, and some folks want a mortgage (or other lifestyle features).

[deleted]

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#159

Post by oldandlesswise »

mooreds wrote: post #94
austenallred wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What I think I have learned is that building a small business with around 5-10 people and making a regular salary of £200k a year is a much more enjoyable existence than trying for the millions and never quite getting there. But what if you get there?

Would you rather have a 1% chance of $100M/year or a 99% chance of $200k/year? If all one thinks about is the math, they'd take the chance at 100M, because it is a higher number when multipled by the probability. But you can't pay a mortgage with a probability, and some folks want a mortgage (or other lifestyle features).

But I think the point is - would you be up for earning £200k a year when it's still your company doing what you want to do. I am not suggesting comparing a £200k a year with having a job - that's very very different and I would never want that. To me that really is a failure. I often ask the question - what would I do if I had £100m++. maybe I would go travel for a few years, but as I am still in my early 40s I would end up having a small company doing some cool stuff in the latest tech. Its what I enjoy doing. You can only sit on so many beaches!

What is the end game? having £100M+ in the bank account is only the start :) i wondering if anyone who has made some big money reads hacker news - or is that all now do :)

Re: Founder to CEO: How to build a great company from the ground up

#160

Post by rft34g4e3t »

cncrnd wrote: post #83
skrebbel wrote: post #47

I read the comments before clicking the link, and found myself agreeing with commenters who complained about this line: > In addition, if people are working less than 8-10 productive hours per day, then they are clearly not being as productive as they could be. I almost dismissed the book as a "yet another VC-driven, work-your-people-to-burnout story" but really, there's more to that. I've found it an excellent read…

Why is everyone disliking this statement about 8-10 hours a day? Excluding weekends, this is 40-50 hours a week, nothing outrageous. You're not that special folks, you have to work to get paid like everyone else.

I believe requiring 10 hour work days are 1. unnecessary and 2. immoral.

10 hour work days IS outrageous. Maybe it's common in this industry, but that doesn't make it any less wrong.

And considering that most tech jobs are exempt, this is just a way of getting you to work more hours for the same amount of pay.

During the last century, we all agreed that a 40 hour work week was the standard. Let's keep it that way. I don't want founders and VC creeps prying the overton window in their favor.

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