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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

#181

Post by sp332 »

taneq wrote: post #162
EGreg wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Some good psychology in that. If you start with the most senior people, then the couple of people who are clearly officially leaders will talk and then everyone else thinks they're next in the pecking order and will trainwreck it. If the only way to talk is to admit that you're more junior than everyone else who hasn't spoken, then you won't stick your two bob in unless you actually have something important to say.

Or the most senior people will put an idea forward and all the juniors will spend their time kissing ass and saying what a great idea it is.

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

#182

Post by robotresearcher »

Nokinside wrote: post #97
lordnacho wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On this site, "startup" is short for "high-growth startup". Of course you can open a neighbourhood restaurant and it will be a startup, just not the kind people like to talk about here. On HN "startup" means the kind of business whose ambition is to be a household name, used by millions of people if it's in the consumer space, or all the major customers if it's in B2B. That kind of thing tends to require a business t…

That's what startup originally means. The term is watered down, but startup = growth and big failure rate. Startup is not same as new company or new tech company. http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html > A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup. Nor is it necessary for a startup to work on technology, or take venture funding, or have some sort of "ex…

The OED keeps track of original usage. Here's the entry:

orig. U.S. A business or enterprise that is in the process of starting up, or that has just been established; a startup company, venture, etc.

They cite these early usages in print:

1975 Chicago Defender 20 Sept. 23/1 The many problems faced by any new start up, but most assuredly by a black financial institution.

1986 Your Business Mar. 11/3 There are the small businesses; the heroic little start-ups in their garages and garden sheds.

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

#183

Post by segmondy »

koonsolo wrote: post #100
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…

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…

As a software development manager, I had to learn to go home early. I'm the type that enjoys work. I would work late till 8-9pm. My team would feel guilty and stay till 7-7:30pm. When I noticed this, I started leaving early 5-6. I would get in my car making a phone call and in 5 minutes, I would see everyone leaving. All I ask for everyone is 8 STRONG hrs everyday.

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

#184

Post by Tarks »

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…

As a recent 30 year old dev in London looking to do just this, I'd really appreciate any advice :)

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

#185

Post by shanghaiaway »

billmalarky wrote: post #153
shanghaiaway wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I've lived in Japan. You haven't. Americans are worse.

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

#186

Post by privacypoller »

douglaswlance wrote: post #113
throwawayqdhd wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I track my productivity very assiduously. For some tasks, such as writing, it is next to impossible to be productive for more than 5-6 hours/day. Your brain gives up after a while.

Right before that happens, eat a good meal then meditate or take a nap. You'd be surprised how much more you can squeeze out your day.

Except my days are not oranges where I'm trying to squeeze every last drop of juice out of them, leaving nothing but pulp, peel and seeds before I throw them in the green bin.

Life is most certainly a marathon where pace of play is far more important than local maxima.

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

#187

Post by justinzollars »

sonnyblarney wrote: post #72
tail_risk wrote: post #43

> the data shows that solo founders rarely succeed Where is the data on this? The only public exit / ipo yc has had to date was a solo founder.

A crude look at Crunchbase apparently indicates that 'one founder is best' and 'four founders is worst'. [1] Though it's not exactly a scientific assessment, the numbers do paint a rough picture. [1] https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/26/co-founders-optional/

Applied (and was interviewed) to YC with 3 co-founders. It was a total disaster. If I ever do it again I will be a solo founder and I'll hire those I need.

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

#188

Post by mooreds »

austenallred wrote: post #99
mooreds wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 are you sure your math is right? How do you know those are the percentages? Me personally, I know I’ll be able to pay a mortgage one way or another, so I’d prefer to shoot for high impact. When you’re running the hopefully-$100m-company you can still pay yourself a six figure salary. It’s not all binary.

I don't know those percentages, but I suspect they are optimistic.

I think it comes down to knowing yourself and your risk profile. Good on ya for taking the swing!

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

#189

Post by mooreds »

oldandlesswise wrote: post #159
mooreds wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

That's fair. I remember talking to a co-founder of a successful company and he said if he ever left, he'd love to run a small engineering team at a company, take a salary, and leave some of the aspects of running a business to others.

It takes all kinds.

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

#190

Post by newen »

iamcasen wrote: post #173
newen wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

The purpose of life is to enjoy your time alive in this world. Typically one does this by connecting with other living beings and balancing a life in service of self with a life in service of others. Will the founders of Snapchat be revered by humanity in the future? Highly doubtful. The way to be remembered is to live a life worth remembering after all.

>The purpose of life is to enjoy your time alive in this world.

You don't get to decide what the purpose of life is. And wanting to leave your mark on the world is just as validation a purpose of life.

>The way to be remembered is to live a life worth remembering after all.

Yeah that doesn't actually mean anything. There are plenty of people forgotten by time and their ancestors who lived perfectly fulfilling lives with their friends and family. They never got remembered in history books. Not that I'm saying their choices were worse but if you want to be remembered in history books, you don't just sit around making friends and family.

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