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Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

Vivek Kumar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:49 -0000

Great post. In my previous start up I had to learn #3 and #5 the hard way. @fredsource - yep happy wife happy life

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

Denny K Miu — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:29:10 -0000

Great article, really enjoy it.

My own experience is that entrepreneurship is a solitary business. As a Founder/CEO, we don’t really have any peers. In retrospect, I wished I had listened more to my own instinct. It turns out that entrepreneurs are different (but not unique) in that we are better in parallel processing and we can do free association better than anyone else. Like hungry dogs in the wild, we are a unique breed. Sometimes we forget or we choose to ignore that differentiating difference. Whatever you do, don’t lose your confidence in yourself and for goodness sake, don't dumb down and don't allow yourself to be domesticated. There is no guarantee that just because you keep trying, you will necessarily succeed. But if we fail because we have elected not to trust our instinct, then we are screwed for eternity.

Good luck.

http://www.startupforless.org

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

DIYStartup — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:16:33 -0000

I want to add one more in here, it is based on personal experience.

A lot of people will tell you to found a company along with others. YCombinator´s Paul Graham tells you to do this. Now while it is good to reflect your ideas, discuss them and confront yourself with other people, I can not confirm that they have to be your co-founders.

If you can afford employees, do so, and DONT AT NO PRICE let the work be done by co-founders. Most of them will be not mature enough to run a company. Many of them will have a blurry vision of how hard it can be to earn money. Most of them will have no clue about how a market works. And last but not least: it is very unlikely that you will be able to convince people you know very well (at a professional level) to join your company, because: they will either already be working in an own company or making good money and carreer if they are skilled.
So usually the "co-founders" you get are people who are in high doubt to have no talent or skill whatsoever needed on the market, or who just at this moment at least dont WANT to work. I had my pleasure with people who just dont know how to meet deadlines, I had my pleasure with people who thought that by moving a little finger millions will drop out of the sky. And I had my pleasure with the ones who thought that "Building a ftartup if fo muff fun".

My message to you is: get some capital, and HIRE people. Discuss and reflect with skilled partners and friends, who are most likely not free at the time you want to start your startup.

And last but not least: do as much as you can by yourself.

I´m eager for comments on this one :)

Cya folks

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

Brendan Lally — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:36:22 -0000

Nicely said.
Home life is often forgetting in startups and business dealings and takes 2nd place.

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

elyes — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:49:34 -0000

Lots of courage to go against mainstream flow:
"The customer isn't always right."
"Releases must go out every Thursday come hell or high-water."
"The first person out the gate doesn’t necessarily win. "
And lots of good sense:
"No one will ever be as excited about your business as you are."
" Everyone expects something from you."
Thanks a bunch !

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

RacerRick — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:31:56 -0000

Great post. Need to print these rules and put them up on the wall.

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

J Kuria — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:15:26 -0000

great post! I've learned 1 and 2 so thoroughly the past year!

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

fredsource — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:36:45 -0000

Glad to hear that someone is popularizing my (in)famous motto "happy wife happy life." This prioritization got me through the hard times ...

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

chinmi — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:47:54 -0000

#1 #1 #1 #1 :-)

And what's so hard about this is that you just can't be sure why.

Is it because they just don't truly understand your idea? Or because they are actually right, and you yourself are just too emotionally tied to your product to remain objective? Is it because the market hasn't found you yet or because the market just doesn't exist? Are you a visionary or just delirious?

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

aletafullenwider — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:47:08 -0000

I shouted when I read #3. I've worked for a small company that would routinely do this. They spent so much money and time for these one offs. Then the potential customer wouldn't buy the product. The entire company's morale spiraled downward due to the constant emotional roller coaster we were subjected to (initial excitement at new project, frustration as some part of the functionality didn't work, exhaustion as we tried to make unrealistic deadlines, anticipation when the 'meeting' happened, and then extreme disappointment when they said no).

Is it a surprise that out of a company of about fifty that 11 of us lost our jobs in late 2008/early 2009? Nope.

thanks again!

Re: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about starting a company)

Bart C — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:35:51 -0000

Now these are some very interesting words! I especially like the parts where you say that customers aren't always right. I agree on that, they don't care how you're gonna make money. I also like your references to your family/friends. There should always be a good balance between your personal and private life. Nothing is more important than your loved ones. Not even an exciting iphone app or so.

Re: Enhanced Charts

ledaflulfug — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:31:00 -0000

Very usefull, Thanks

Re: Google Map from RSS Feed

JessicaWandy — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:46:49 -0000

Great point and very interesting food for thought. I'm not sure I have any clients I can replicate this with, but will bear in mind for the future. Regards