by launchplus on 4/29/12, 2:31 PM with 7 comments
Late last year, I was approached with an offer at a fast growing, profitable, pre-Series A startup that required me to relocate away from home.
The timing was perfect, as I was recovering from a bout of burnout and I really wanted to take a break from freelancing and working at a startup has been something I wished to do.
So I packed up, travelled 3,000 miles, got settled in quickly and started working my ass off. I had some grand plans in my mind, thinking that this is my chance to put up the highest score of my life, by helping a startup go from start to exit.
6 months on, my drive and desire at this startup is all gone. I stopped believing in the product, not that it sucks, but simply because it's not in a domain I'm interested in. My motivation previously was solely fueled by monetary desires, and we all know that that never lasts.
I'm still working at the startup, although I don't think I'll be here for long. I'm only here, because I feel a sense of responsibility to complete a few remaining tasks before leaving.
Did I ever regret the decision to come here? No, because I got to work with really smart hackers and most importantly, I met some new friends whom I'm now working on a new project with.
It's only after this experience that I started to understand why "you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards."
Oh, and this time, I'm not after monetary gains.
What motivates you?
P.S. I would appreciate it if you could take a look at the landing page I've put up (http://shallwedive.com) and tell me what you think. Sharing it with your friends who scuba dive would be awesome :)
by stewie2 on 4/30/12, 2:15 PM
I feel that Working as an employee, raising a family and getting old is the most common life path that one can vision even at his/her 20's. I can say, "if I work hard today, I will be like my manager ten years later."
But that's not exciting, because that life path sounds like determinable and planned. It's as cruel as telling a young child that he/she will never achieve anything and will end up normal.
I don't want my life to be easily visible. I don't want to easily tell how my 50's will look like when I'm 2x.
I'd be a homeless or a achiever, but I can't settle in the middle.
by hacker_jumper on 4/29/12, 5:22 PM
To answer your question of what motivates me - vision and knowledge of what Steve Jobs once said, (along the lines of) - "what ever you see in this world was made by people no more smarter than you".
by HerraBRE on 4/29/12, 10:40 PM
Secondary motivation: I want to have the freedom to work on things I enjoy and care about, as opposed to working for a paycheck.
by exim on 4/29/12, 3:42 PM
by steventruong on 4/30/12, 8:19 PM