Re:Do I have to do a startup in my area of experience?
by l3amm on Saturday July 28, 2012 @06:32PM
(#4306745)
In general I think that working in an area you have experience in makes things smoother especially in the beginning. You know the pain points without having to do any research and have some initial "instinct" that points you toward potential solutions.
However, I strongly believe the most important thing for an early-stage start up is passion around the space/solving the pain points. The main reason is that working in a start-up is really hard and, at times, soul-draining. If you hit that depression phase and you aren't 100% committed to solving the problem you'll never pull out of the death spiral.
That being said, if you're passionate, you don't have to be an expert as long as you commit to becoming an expert quickly. Tons of breakthroughs happen when intelligent novices enter a space without the preconceptions of the existing leaders.
However, I strongly believe the most important thing for an early-stage start up is passion around the space/solving the pain points. The main reason is that working in a start-up is really hard and, at times, soul-draining. If you hit that depression phase and you aren't 100% committed to solving the problem you'll never pull out of the death spiral.
That being said, if you're passionate, you don't have to be an expert as long as you commit to becoming an expert quickly. Tons of breakthroughs happen when intelligent novices enter a space without the preconceptions of the existing leaders.