OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you. • Hacker News Board

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#31

Post by cubicle67 » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:03 AM UTC

andreyf wrote: post #30

I've been thinking of working on things with people I'm romantically involved with... what's the experience like? What are the ups and downs?

You know, I hadn't realised until I read your comment, but our tenth wedding anniversary coincides very nicely with our leaving the BigCo life.

The Downs: You don't always see eye to eye, and you need to be able to work things out.

The Ups: For me, my wife is not IT oriented, so doesn't try to tell me how to do things, but provides very valuable insight into how a normal user would approach things; her ideas are very good. Another point - You know your partner isn't an idiot:)

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#32

Post by cubicle67 » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:07 AM UTC

Neoryder wrote: post #22

Good Luck! Thanks for giving us fence sitters another kick in th a$$. I feel each every post like this is going to push me to the brink and finally make me take the plunge. Thanks Again.

Thanks.

I've been reading ycombinator about six months or so now and discussing ideas with my wife for about as long. It's reached the stage where we decided we may as well actually do something.

Tell you what, though. Gives you a whole different outlook on work when you can see the end in sight.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#33

Post by cubicle67 » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:13 AM UTC

staunch wrote: post #13

You'll probably fail, make sure you prepare for that. You definitely put to shame the very young single guys who don't want to give up their cozy cube jobs. Good luck!

Hence the six months lead time, not 'I quit now!'

I've been without income before and am acutely aware of how much it hurts. I'd like to say I have no plan B, that we will make this work, but I have to be realistic and I'm in no hurry to risk my family's welfare again.

We're doing all we can to minimalise the risk, but there comes a time when you have to be willing to take on some or spend the rest of your life in regret.

I too have a cube job - hence the name :)

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#34

Post by cubicle67 » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:15 AM UTC

greendestiny wrote: post #27

cubicle67 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Think massive international co with a tla for a name. Australia.

So I guess you know quite a bit about linux then? :) What field is your startup going to be in?

> So I guess you know quite a bit about linux then?

No, the _other_ big three letter IT company. Hint: was started by a prior US presidential candidate.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#35

Post by rokhayakebe » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:19 AM UTC

O boy. Now you got two option. 1-Die trying (and as they say, if you do you won't care anymore) or 2-Become successful. I see you choosing option2.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#36

Post by portLAN » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:22 AM UTC

JMiao wrote: post #19

portLAN wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you tell us how you did it? *cough* Virtualmin -- YC Winter 2007 *cough* Are you suggesting in retrospect that you'd have preferred a different strategy?

I think he's trying to be helpful and encouraging, which I'm sure many appreciate.

YC is a known strategy. If someone is suggesting an alternative approach, details would be useful.

"You can do it too!" works better when they aren't telling you to pursue a different strategy than they did with no specifics.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#37

Post by greendestiny » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:23 AM UTC

cubicle67 wrote: post #34

greendestiny wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I guess you know quite a bit about linux then? :) What field is your startup going to be in?

> So I guess you know quite a bit about linux then? No, the _other_ big three letter IT company. Hint: was started by a prior US presidential candidate.

Oh rightio, not even I can miss that hint. Yes good idea leaving them, they can be a bit stifling I hear.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#38

Post by portLAN » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:30 AM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #21

portLAN wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you tell us how you did it? *cough* Virtualmin -- YC Winter 2007 *cough* Are you suggesting in retrospect that you'd have preferred a different strategy?

VirtualMin also was started before Joe et al got into YC. There's a difference between "Getting into YC would help my business" and "I need to get into YC to start my business".

YC's value, as is repeated often, is in the advice and contacts. Finding 30 investors that will sit through your demo is something most developers don't know anything about. GGP is conspicuously silent on how to pull off that trick without YC.

> There's a difference between "Getting into YC would help my business" and "I need to get into YC to start my business".

Astounding! Who else have you told this to?

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#39

Post by SwellJoe » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:31 AM UTC

portLAN wrote: post #18

SwellJoe wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of YC involvement, you can still be demoing to investors in March. It takes a little more effort--and you'll have to do the demo about 30 times to reach the same number of investors--but you can actually start a company without YC. ;-)

Why don't you tell us how you did it? *cough* Virtualmin -- YC Winter 2007 *cough* Are you suggesting in retrospect that you'd have preferred a different strategy?

"Are you suggesting in retrospect that you'd have preferred a different strategy?"

Not even a little bit. But we were moving full steam ahead whether YC was involved or not. As others mentioned, we were launched, we were selling products, and we were developing the connections we needed to get to where we wanted to be. YC just accelerated that, gave me the impetus I needed to get moved to the valley, and gave us a chance to hone our message and our product under the discriminating eye of a lot of smart people. Well worth the time, effort, and equity.

But there would still be a Virtualmin, Inc. without YC, and it would still be building products that people like.

Re: OK, you've convinced me. I'm coming to join you.

#40

Post by SwellJoe » Mon, Sep 10, 2007, 2:34 AM UTC

portLAN wrote: post #36

JMiao wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think he's trying to be helpful and encouraging, which I'm sure many appreciate.

YC is a known strategy. If someone is suggesting an alternative approach, details would be useful. "You can do it too!" works better when they aren't telling you to pursue a different strategy than they did with no specifics.

'"You can do it too!" works better when they aren't telling you to pursue a different strategy than they did with no specifics.'

I didn't think I needed to do so, since I assumed everybody here has read all of pg's essays, seen Guy Kawasaki's Art of the Start, and read a few other useful books about startups. While everybody who's built a business (I'm on my second) has at least a few things to teach others in the same boat...I didn't want to clutter up the post with a bunch of random rants. I respond to posts here with specific advice whenever there's a question I feel qualified to answer.