The Startup Life Is Not For Everyone

Re:The Startup Life Is Not For Everyone by nemesisj on Thursday September 12, 2013 @11:20AM (#6374589)

One of the things we talk about a lot is how overtime and working more than 40-50 hours a week is always a management failure. We didn't raise enough money, or plan well enough, or get enough people, or understand what we were doing, etc. We work really really hard, but we make sure it's within those parameters, except in some really rare emergency scenarios.

During interviews, people always look at me like I have two heads when I try to actively talk them out of doing startup. It's not romantic, it's not horrible, it's just different. At different times people will be amenable to that lifestyle, but not always.

I get so tired of everyone talking about "startup life" and I think a lot of it is just tagalong marketing. We can't figure out ways of pumping up our businesses or what we're doing so we just tag onto this shiny intangible lifestyle that's already marketed by movies or other blogs.

Startup life has always been bullshit. Making cool things with great people has always been cool. No matter what stage you're doing that in.

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Re:The Startup Life Is Not For Everyone by sannabonner on Thursday September 12, 2013 @11:54AM (#6374823)

I'm glad to read this, nemesisj. I was just reading last night the parameters for applying my startup idea for inclusion in the YC program, and was getting pretty excited that such a program exists.

I'm new to actually trying to be an entrepreneur (as opposed to just thinking about it), and it is encouraging to read that your version of working more than fairly-standard full time is management failure. I agree entirely.

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Re:The Startup Life Is Not For Everyone by nemesisj on Thursday September 12, 2013 @03:49PM (#6376478)

I think the keys are to develop habits around working full-out during the day, planning well, not allowing yourself to inflict a culture that relies constantly on heroics for success, and taking responsibility for when things don't go as planned. That's hard to do, and requires true leadership. I've been on both sides (success and failure) in that area. Good luck!

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