by wasigh on 9/3/12, 6:54 PM with 133 comments
by edw519 on 9/3/12, 7:36 PM
The other news:
- Your runway is probably 50% of what you think it is.
- Your task is probably 200% of what you think it is.
- It will take 200% of what you expect to get your first customer.
- Your wife will get scared before you do.
- Some customers will take forever to pay.
- You'll probably have to backtrack on your design / architecture.
- When you need to sell, you'll want to code.
- When you need to code, you'll want to sell.
- Your MVP will be missing something critical.
- At some point, you'll question your decision.
- At some point, someone will discourage you.
- You may need to pivot your entire business.
- In a year, you won't be who you are now.
Best wishes!
[EDIT: Changed "less than good news" to "other news". Thanks grannyg00se and untog for pointing out my "less than best choice of words". wasigh, it's all good news.]
by dan1234 on 9/3/12, 8:46 PM
by city41 on 9/3/12, 8:37 PM
I'm curious how much of a hacker culture is still left at places like github, Fog Creek, etc.
I'm starting to think the most surefire way to submerge yourself in a hacker culture is to join or start a startup.
by consultutah on 9/3/12, 7:26 PM
The biggest difference between doers and dreamers is simply that: The doers do and the dreamers dream. You've taken a bigger step than 99% of people are willing to take for themselves, so you are already in the doer group. Just keep it up and you'll be successful.
by edwinnathaniel on 9/3/12, 8:37 PM
For some, that may work, for others, be careful of what you wish for. This is not a warning to stay away from such companies but when the companies are dominated by young energetic single employees and you're a father of 1 year old child (and maybe another one coming), there lies a cultural barrier between you and the rest of the company (unless you're going there as a Dev Manager).
As people get older, they no longer too crazy about the tech side as they used to be so sometimes conversation becomes dull for both side.
by meritt on 9/3/12, 7:28 PM
https://raw.github.com/gist/3612652/132c74fbbfc50212f4f93d8e...
by spicyj on 9/3/12, 7:15 PM
If you want to do your own thing that's great, but if you really want to work at one of those companies, let them tell you whether you're good enough -- there's no reason to make the decision for them.
by mrchess on 9/4/12, 8:21 AM
This hurt made me frustrated when my projects didn't succeed or generate revenue -- I'd ask myself why I sacrificed $X dollars for failure. I could argue I was gaining knowledge, but it sucks to have a negative income. Every day I felt strained to figure out how to make money again, and this stress didn't give me the relaxed atmosphere I thought I would have.
In retrospect I won't quit my full-time job again until I have something that already generates revenue, or a much larger nest egg.
by wensheng on 9/3/12, 9:27 PM
What are my options? Can anyone shine some lights on this issue?
(I know it's a US thing, as those in EU have free health plan and all that.)
by chlee on 9/3/12, 7:52 PM
I had a well paying job in one of the top tech companies. However, I felt unsatisfied with my job responsibilities and disconnected between what I enjoy doing and I was actually doing.
Therefore I took a year off (this month marks about 1 year and 2 months off) to work on my own thing/project. With that said, I hope to share some of my experiences with you.
1) Take regular breaks and avoid burnout
I was working on my project 24/7, from the moment I woke up to the moment I fall asleep ... 7 days a week. In hindsight, that was a recipe for burning out. I was mentally fatigued after 6-8 months into this routine.
Looking back, I should have taken regular breaks from work and not think about the project at all. Maintain an active social life, go on trips, spend time with friends, or as simple as forcing myself to take a day off every week would have done wonders for my own mental health.
2) Maintain your physical health
Physically and health wise, I was in a fantastic shape before I left my job and started on my own venture.
However, my health quickly deteriorated because I neglected my physical well being. For example, I exercised less and eventually none at all. I ate less than I should (I would go as far as eating 1 meal per day). My sleeping schedule quickly fell out of whack.
Take good precautions and maintain a good physical and mental health. This will go a long way in preventing you from falling into a negative feedback loop and damaging your well being.
3) If you build it, they will not come (think about marketing)
I gave vague thoughts to marketing while working on my project. I demoed my product to my close friends and family. They loved it, so i thought, if I build a great product, users will automagically show up. Boy, I was wrong.
It is good to develop a plan on how to reach your protential users and/or customers. Think about SEO. Think about finding a niche or community of [potentially enthusiastic] users to whom you can demo your product. Think about finding bloggers who can help you spread the word.
4) Everything will take twice as long to implement
Think a feature will take a week to implement? It will probably take two weeks if not more. I saw the iceberg effect firsthand while developing my own product. So be careful, be cautious, and plan accordingly.
5) Just ship it. D@mn it.
You will always notice issues, flaws, bugs, and imperfections within your product. As creators/founders/makers, we all do. However, we can spend eternity tinkering and fixing those issues, but our product will never ship.
Therefore, you should give yourself a rough deadline or an idea as to when you'll ship, no matter how imperfect your product is.
6) You'll need to hustle after you ship
Shipping is only half the battle. It is unlikely that tens of thousands will show up on your front step after you ship.
Therefore you'll need to go out and hustle. You'll need to think about things like marketing, customer acquisition, customer, retention, customer service, and so forth.
by guiomie on 9/3/12, 8:16 PM
This is my current mentality (I fear being in my confort zone), glad you share it... Anyone has an opinion on this type of behavior? Is this a good or bad habit on the long term?
by notlisted on 9/4/12, 12:11 AM
A "smarter" way to resign voluntarily, in Holland, is to gather proof with regards to your mental state/wellbeing, e.g. if there's a track record of you being "overspannen" (tr: burnt out) you would, with the right evidence, still be able to apply of unemployment benefits. Instead of quitting, call in sick, make an appointment with your Dr. and if he/she signs the appropriate paperwork, you can dissolve your contract "amicably" (ontbinding met wederzijds goedkeuren) which, in some cases, would allow you to retain the right to apply for WW (unemployment benefits).
Just in case you are in the US: depending on the state you live in, one may still qualify for unemployment benefits even if you quit yourself for "good cause" (it's actually somewhat similar to the Dutch situation, ie you need proof of undue stress, demands by your boss exceeding your contract, changes in job description/responsibilities, health reasons, family reasons, unsafe working environment, etc. etc.). Details vary by state, see http://jobsearch.about.com/od/unemployment/a/unemploymentoff...
Note: I've been self-employed for 10+ years now. Love it now, but many of the points outlined elsewhere are extremely valid... Don't think lightly about this decision. It's a big change, and despite the admiration for the entrepreneurial spirit in the USA, the deck is really stacked against you (think: healthcare, taxes, etc. etc.)
by veesahni on 9/4/12, 12:37 AM
Stay focussed. Give yourself small goals and take it one day at a time. You'll come out of this a changed man. Good luck!
by anovikov on 9/3/12, 7:22 PM
Maybe, this fact is what makes founding startups, and (as a smaller form of the same), freelancing more profitable than jobs: most people think it is much harder/scarier than it really is, so supply/demand shifts. Everyone wants a job, and there are only so many jobs around, so you have to compete in price. Fewer people want to freelance, and everyone wants to get a specific job done without long term commitments, so it's much easier to breathe in freelance field. When you create startup i.e. innovate, you are in the blue water.
by DaveChild on 9/4/12, 12:02 PM
On monday, I start down a new road :)
by tluyben2 on 9/3/12, 7:48 PM
There are more than enough nice companies in the Netherlands to go for. I like the same as you; small teams, hacker culture, getting things done. I found that in my companies over the years, but there are plenty of those around depending on what you want to do. Even in slightly bigger teams, it can be hacker culture; q42 (den haag) comes to mind.
Just take some time to talk to people and search around, apply for some stuff! Succes!
Edit: you can of course just start something for yourself; it is very common in NL (ZZP) and it works really well. On your own it's not hard to find gigs, but you have to like that kind of thing. More interesting is to do this with a few like minded folks, work on freelance jobs at companies for a few days a week and in the rest of the time make a niche offering. For instance Jurg van Vliet (9apps) would be someone who did something like that well in the cloud hosting niche.
by ideamonk on 9/3/12, 8:45 PM
I'm trying the same since July. One of the important lessons I learnt on the way - be super-serious about organising your time. July & half of August flew away in a jiffy as I was trying to do/learn too many (mostly new) things at the same time. I'm trying to form habits around the way I spend time, not letting new ideas distract me on a daily basis.
You've been working in a jungle of roles for 8 years, bet that bit wont be hard. Good luck again :)
by anil_mamede on 9/4/12, 8:30 AM
by btilly on 9/3/12, 7:38 PM
The first company that comes to mind in the Netherlands for me is Booking.com. If you're looking for contract work to get started, could be worth talking to them?
I would also strongly suggest contacting http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=jacquesm. He lives in the Netherlands, has started multiple startups, and is a generally wonderful person. If you can prove yourself to him, his network could be an incredibly valuable resource for you.
by digitalengineer on 9/4/12, 7:09 AM
by vignesh_vs_in on 9/3/12, 7:20 PM
I will be at his position soon, although i started sharpening my skills a year back and trying out some part-time freelancing right now. I am actually thrilled that i will be able decide what to do 24/7.
For me freedom is the ability to win/fail, without the need to explain anybody once u do so.
All i can say is best of luck and keep us updated on your journey.
by diego on 9/3/12, 8:14 PM
by kureikain on 9/3/12, 7:44 PM
You have a great family, a great wife. Let chase your dream ;). Try your best and wish you luck.
by zackyap on 9/3/12, 9:02 PM
It will be a tough journey ahead, but the courage to resign is a first step. There's a tonne of work that needs to be done so remember to stay FOCUSED. :)
by michaelkscott on 9/3/12, 10:15 PM
by ryanjodonnell on 9/3/12, 7:41 PM
by jnar on 9/3/12, 7:29 PM
by Naushad on 9/3/12, 10:02 PM
by alpb on 9/3/12, 7:25 PM
by tzaman on 9/3/12, 7:29 PM
by sidcool on 9/3/12, 8:06 PM
by wilzy on 9/3/12, 11:45 PM
by micheljansen on 9/3/12, 8:30 PM
by finkin1 on 9/3/12, 11:00 PM
by Lucadg on 9/3/12, 10:12 PM
by antonioevans on 9/3/12, 7:59 PM
by drivingsouth on 9/3/12, 9:33 PM
by markmm on 9/4/12, 9:47 AM