Ask HN: What Did You Learn At Your First Start-up?

Posted by kmccarth on Saturday February 12, 2011 @12:30PM
from the ask-hn dept.

Hey everyone, my name is Kevin McCarthy and I co-founded a Boston-based publication called BostInnovation (http://bostinnovation.com/).

I want to put a series together called "What I Learned at My First Start-Up". The premise is simple: have technically-minded folks talk about their first start-up, the technical challenges they faced, the success they had and the mistakes they learned from. I think there is a lot to learn from other's "war stories".

If anyone is interested, drop me an email at kevin at bostinnovation.

( 4 comments | 10 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: What Did You Learn At Your First Start-up? by badkins on Saturday February 12, 2011 @01:10PM (#2210618)

In my first startup now. The biggest thing I have learned is the roughness of the emotional rollercoaster. When things are going well, it is an amazing rush. Bur when things are going wrong, the lows can be absolutely brutal. You NEED someone to provide support in these times. The best trait to have in a startup is persistence, because without it, you will want to give up during these times.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What Did You Learn At Your First Start-up? by kmccarth on Saturday February 12, 2011 @01:45PM (#2210727)

couldn't agree more about persistence. Keeping an even keel during the ups and downs is very important as well.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What Did You Learn At Your First Start-up? by spiralganglion on Saturday February 12, 2011 @01:04PM (#2210595)

I'm in my first startup right now, and we're but a few weeks old. I can say with absolute certainty that I'm constantly engaged in the act of learning. I seized this opportunity exactly to have a career where I must learn constantly about myriad topics in order to prosper.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: What Did You Learn At Your First Start-up? by us on Saturday February 12, 2011 @01:01PM (#2210588)

Sounds interesting. Maybe we can start a group for this with Skype handles instead

[ Parent | on HN ]