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In other words, the warm encouraging phrases have qualifiers - you have to figure out what they are and if they apply to you.
Very helpful and inspiring. Thanks! But: > We're taking on some consulting projects, but we're going to keep working on the startup. All good if you're single, but what if you've got a wife and family and just need the cash? (Okay, feel free to say you shouldn't start a startup with a family, but it's too late... :-)
It seems like the success rate for that situation is minuscule, if you define 'success' as getting rich and not just supporting yourself.
I don't think most startup founders with families are looking at the same picture of success as those right out of college.
I will say it plainly: This is the most influential, well written essay I have ever read. It hit a chord very deep with me..
1) How can a just-now-released essay be influential at all?
2) At least half of pg's essays are better written than this, which to me seemed a little phoned-in. It's not really an essay anyway, but a peptalk. He didn't even have the usual cavalcade of proofreaders at the bottom.
3) The most influential essay I've ever read is the first essay of "Genealogy of Morals".
I will say it plainly: This is the most influential, well written essay I have ever read. It hit a chord very deep with me..
I hate to always be the jerk on this board, but: 1) How can a just-now-released essay be influential at all? 2) At least half of pg's essays are better written than this, which to me seemed a little phoned-in. It's not really an essay anyway, but a peptalk. He didn't even have the usual cavalcade of proofreaders at the bottom. 3) The most influential essay I've ever read is the first essay of "Genealogy of Morals".
It can, obviously, be very influential to one reader...and instantly. Time is irrelevant once it reaches that one reader.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It seems like the success rate for that situation is minuscule, if you define 'success' as getting rich and not just supporting yourself.
Life is about compromise. I don't think most startup founders with families are looking at the same picture of success as those right out of college.
This is probably among the most operational focussed essay I have read from PG on startups. Its so true - nothing focuses the human mind more than deadlines and public statements to live upto. I go around telling everyone I know, including people at work that I want to start a company and it has a very subconcious effect on me, when people are constantly asking me so whats happening on your startup front. Also very g…
Very helpful and inspiring. Thanks! But: > We're taking on some consulting projects, but we're going to keep working on the startup. All good if you're single, but what if you've got a wife and family and just need the cash? (Okay, feel free to say you shouldn't start a startup with a family, but it's too late... :-)
Why not ask the wife to be the temporary breadwinner while you concentrate on your project?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What makes this inspiring is the extent to which it really is analytical; it's based on his accumulated experience with startups. Someone known for careful thinking is stating that for 90% of startups that look good based on an application and a single interview, success is only a matter of determination.
It makes sense when you think about it. The yCombinator application weeds out people who are unintelligent; the interview weeds out people who are inflexible. So anyone who gets into the program is bound to be both intelligent and flexible. What can go wrong with startups? You can work on the problem wrong, which is hopefully averted by smarts. Or you can work on the wrong problem, which is averted by flexibility and…
And it's actually been proven true by one of the YC companies that was in WFP 07 (I'm sure it's been true of others, too...pg mentions Wufoo in the essay). Paul McKellar's first run was SocialMoth.com which is fun as hell to use and crazy sticky...but got no traction and no investment. Next came Overhear.us. Also fun to use, but no traction and no investment. Then came the Facebook SocialMoth, which exploded...now he's a mini-mogul with a bunch of Facebook apps in development, and real revenues from those users. Is he rich yet? Probably not. But he's found a niche that is paying and growing rapidly, because he stubbornly kept iterating and evolving.
Before you get too excited about this article, realize that if you are not in the YC club, this article was not intended for you. In other words, the warm encouraging phrases have qualifiers - you have to figure out what they are and if they apply to you.