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Why I abandoned my startup

westonmcbride.com

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Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#21

Post by tks2103 »

"The question left me sick to my stomach." "I went to bed that night with my head spinning." "...I had been living... in the 'trance of fear.'" "I knew that I was powerfully unhappy..., but I was powerless to do anything about it" "That revelation liberated me." "I was buying my life back."

dude, reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelax.

sounds like you are about to do some cool stuff. excited to see what you come up with.

but, just so you have a different perspective, this is what i heard: you are leaving one company to start another company. the new company does water stuff, and you really like that.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#22

Post by gruseom »

guylhem wrote: post #17

It is both funny and sad to read. So you decided to shed away your chances of success and the financial capacity to back up the projects you believe in +5 years, +10 years, +15 years from now (etc.) for the time preference of working right now on a project - because there is a water problem in this world. Tell me, what are you going to do about hunger? If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have do…

My jaw dropped when I read this, and then I felt sick. It's so dismaying to check in on HN threads and encounter this degree of nastiness and self-parody.

Good for you, Weston. I look forward to hearing about your dragon-slaying adventures.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#23

Post by 7Figures2Commas »

guylhem wrote: post #17

It is both funny and sad to read. So you decided to shed away your chances of success and the financial capacity to back up the projects you believe in +5 years, +10 years, +15 years from now (etc.) for the time preference of working right now on a project - because there is a water problem in this world. Tell me, what are you going to do about hunger? If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have do…

> If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have donated part of your (steady) income for that?

This.

There are tons of great organizations (non-profits, etc.) that are already doing wonderful things in a variety of areas. Even the ones with considerable human resources, knowledge, relationships, infrastructure and donor bases usually typically have a need for more support. What these organizations need less of: duplicative efforts that produce fragmentation and are likely to see good ideas die quietly because those trying to do their own thing couldn't obtain the resources to execute.

It's sad that so many well-intentioned, idealistic people apparently fail to recognize or refuse to believe that minute for minute and dollar for dollar, their time and money will almost always produce a far greater ROI when invested in existing efforts.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#25

Post by kumarski »

guylhem wrote: post #17

It is both funny and sad to read. So you decided to shed away your chances of success and the financial capacity to back up the projects you believe in +5 years, +10 years, +15 years from now (etc.) for the time preference of working right now on a project - because there is a water problem in this world. Tell me, what are you going to do about hunger? If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have do…

I've learned that being negative or spiteful toward people who are actively building things isn't helpful.

Keep on slaying dragons Weston. Even when I'm not passionate about what someone's building, I'm always supportive of people executing. Keep going Weston.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#26

Post by gruseom »

7Figures2Commas wrote: post #23
guylhem wrote: post #17

It is both funny and sad to read. So you decided to shed away your chances of success and the financial capacity to back up the projects you believe in +5 years, +10 years, +15 years from now (etc.) for the time preference of working right now on a project - because there is a water problem in this world. Tell me, what are you going to do about hunger? If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have do…

> If you really cared about the water problem, couldn't you have donated part of your (steady) income for that? This. There are tons of great organizations (non-profits, etc.) that are already doing wonderful things in a variety of areas. Even the ones with considerable human resources, knowledge, relationships, infrastructure and donor bases usually typically have a need for more support. What these organizations ne…

I strongly disagree. People ought not to let themselves be talked out of unreasonable dreams of greatness. Your comment reads to me like depression distilled into words.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#27

Post by gruseom »

alekseyk wrote: post #8

Sounds to me like his girlfriend got him jealous. Seriously, if he could quit a start up and go into charity over night I don't think his bank account was hurting. It always amusing to me how people try to pet their egos, oh hey guys I'm loaded so I'm going to quit my job and sell water to poor kids. Please look how kind I am, everybody else is so selfish and stuck at work because they are not loaded!

Yes, perhaps there is ego involved. But at least it's blended with some wonder and some love. That's better than the form of it that you're expressing here, which is black bile. I wonder why people don't see that when they pour this stuff on others, they're pouring it on themselves as well.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#28

Post by kamaal »

>> I just have to sell this mobile shopping company for $200M

And then..

>>But my girlfriend challenged this: “How does selling a consumer app company help you disrupt the potable water market?” She was right, and I knew it.

In the same way Bill Gates can solve problems like Polio, Hunger and Poverty by using his fortune. You need money to solve the world's problems, Is this really so hard to understand?

If you have no money you can't solve your own problems. Let alone the world's problems. Without money you will be left working crazy hours to solve your own miniscule problems which aren't relevant beyond house's front door.

You were right there, if you had sold that start up for $200 million. You could take your cut, then spend rest of your life focusing your time, energy and passion on the problems you are interested to solve without worrying about mortgage, debts or anything.

Re: Why I abandoned my startup

#30

Post by nathantotten »

kamaal wrote: post #16
michaelochurch wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He is clearly sheltered, but he has a point. Most people live demoralized, defeated, horrible lives, and corporate work is the cause because it truly sucks. But let's remember that exceptions can happen for any of us. May the odds be ever in your favor. Personally, I'm OK with working for money as long as I'm actually paid-- at a consulting rate, not a 40-hour engagement. At $500 an hour, I'll do boring work (for a c…

>>Most people live demoralized, defeated, horrible lives, and corporate work is the cause because it truly sucks. I agree, to this 100%. >>At $500 an hour, I'll do boring work (for a couple hundred hours). $500/hr * 8 hrs/day is $4000 per day or $20,000 per week or $80,000 per month. How does one go about by finding such a job? I am darn serious and I'm asking you. Do you know how to find such work? Note: In my count…

I think he was saying that if somebody were to pay him that much, he would do the work for a while. I don't think he necessarily makes that much (at least not consistently). There are very few professions that pay that level of salary. A few that come to mind would be some corporate executives, a few specialized types of doctors, top lawyers, coaches of college or professional sporting teams, and presidents of some major universities.
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