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My loss

sivers.org

31–40 of 111 posts

Re: My loss

#31
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you go after external capital, it looks like you're well positioned to do that ?

We've been doing everything possible to not give up any of the company. We won't let it kill us, but we're going to try and get it off the ground without taking any investment if at all possible. We're starting to bring in money now, and we've got a lot of interested people, but the timing is just horrid.

Just dropped you a line on your gmail account.

Kudos for hanging in there that long and keeping it all, it's a principled way of doing things but in the long run it is the better strategy if you are sitting on a sure bet.

Re: My loss

#32
It's awesome on the other side, with a caveat. You will get rejected. Again, and again, and again. Things will go wrong. Your dreams will get shattered. The moment you demonstrate signs of success, suddenly people will start knocking on your door. And when things change, you'll get rejected again. People will leave, mutiny, and flip out. The worst and the best of human nature will come out in plain sight.

If you're unprepared for this, a sliver of ice will form in your heart and will grow larger and larger, until there is nothing left. At the end, you will end up where you were before, with all your dreams shattered and endless cynicism about life and your fellow man in your heart. If you choose to say yes where you said no, and no where you said yes, you must learn to love people for their best and worst qualities, always and unconditionally, lest your adventure ends in a disaster.

Re: My loss

#33
Hey Derek,

That was pretty brave of you to write that and publish it for all the world to see.

I don't doubt that this will only lead you to greater success, you're more free now to achieve that than you have been in more than a decade.

Maybe the grass on the other side really is greener :)

best of luck!

  Jacques

Re: My loss

#34
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Strong asset protection should never require hiding! You should always be able to have all assets fully revealed, and still be protected. Never depend on secrets.

Bad choice of words perhaps. I really meant hide it out of reach , not hide it out of sight . Good point though. Actually hiding assets is a terrible form of protection (just as in computing security through obscurity is a terrible means of security). EDIT: Looks like jacquesm can type faster than I :-/

Hey, all I have is a typing diploma and a driving license, both were money well spent and I use them every day. It's not a whole lot of formal education but I get by ;)

Re: My loss

#35
post #13
post #5

Side note - anybody thinking about getting married should look into the financial implications of getting divorced. It shouldn't stop you, but you should at least understand you're putting at least half of everything you own on the table and potentially more. I think you don't completely understand marriage unless you've been divorced. It may just be confirmation bias but I've been thinking about heading off in a muc…

My understanding is that half of everything you earned and bought while married is on the table. Stuff you owned or earned before the marriage is not on the table unless you want it to be. Non-marital property vs. marital property. I'm not a lawyer.

A co-worker of mine got divorced not long ago. I believe it went to court, but not sure (they both had lawyers). No kids were involved. His wife received half his assets, 100% of their co-owned business, all of his retirement money, and substantial alimony for 5 years. He got a devalued house with 2 mortgages and a 15 year old car. The wife is also a skilled, in-demand professional who could easily make $60k/year+.

Hearing face-to-face how badly this guy got fucked over was eye-opening to say the least. The truth is, family courts are highly biased against men. Get a pre-nup if you get married, or learn that truth the hard way.

Re: My loss

#36
post #7
post #2

The HN take-away: Behind what looks like a success could actually be a failure. (And probably vice-versa.)

Absolutely true, especially the vice-versa part. Everyone's definition of success is different. Others may think you are a failure based on this post, while thinking you were a success based on almost every other post. Their perception of your success or failure should not change whether you feel successful or not. The only thing that matters is whether you yourself feel successful or not. If not (having read your bl…

The "vice-versa" part is an important life lesson. Walk to a freeway onramp w/ a rucksack on your back and stick out your thumb, you'll probably meet some fascinating people. Quit what seems like a safe job, travel a bit, land in a different city, and see what you can do there - at the worst, you'll find something differently stimulating. The fear of change is never based on certainty, just on an inverse relationship with one's own flexibility. And I'd wager that, generally speaking, the more flexible, the better.

Re: My loss

#38
Here is bad: Auschwitz, Treblinka, Buchenwald. Some survived. Never underestimate your ability to bounce back. When you can't summon strength, summon spite.

Re: My loss

#40
I am at rock bottom right now, and as I struggle to get up. I've searched for resources to help me figure out the best way out. I have made plans. Created structures for myself. Kicked myself. A lot.

However, I've fallen flat on my face again and again due to a simple reason. I don't have the resources to execute any kind of measures to get myself out of this mess. I can't concentrate without getting suicidal imagery in my head and spiraling into a very disturbing cycle. I really don't have any pre-requisite life experience to rely on. The worst thing is that time is running out for me to apply to college.

On the other hand, this is might be more of a blessing. I have literally started my life with a blank slate, and now I can choose the foundation for my future in a way that few can. If only I knew how.

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