To some people, success is raising a happy family. To others, it is making manager or director or executive as a cog in a Fortune 500 machine. Most of us here want to start a successful company and make a nice profit or reach a liquidity event.
I would consider myself having succeeded if I can do any or all of the following:
1: Make the GUI that I outlined in my first YC application, an interface intended to make the internet really easy to use for non-traditional users of computers.
2: Cure a major illness or create a major technological breakthrough through my own research lab.
3: Take over Equatorial Guinea.
"1: Make the GUI that I outlined in my first YC application, an interface intended to make the internet really easy to use for non-traditional users of computers." The latter was a great answer and it was the sort of answer I was looking for.
I simply believe that there can be a greater objective in a start-up than a simple exit event. I think eBay was a success cause it had a large impact on shopping online and in fact created an entire new market; Amazon pretty much legitimized online shopping; Hotmail brought web-based email to the masses; TripAdvisor introduced reliable, user-generated opinions for all things related to travel, etc.
I personally believe that a start-up's impact on society and/or business is more important than anything else.
When women want you while before they never paid attention to you, your startup has been a success.
Others have asked me for advice, but in no way do I feel that I have accomplished my mission. There are greater and more substantial objectives other than being asked advices or receiving praise.
My question was, what is 'success'?