The only caveat I'd add is "don't quit your job if it turns out you enjoy it just fine". The post makes the same assumption that a lot of Hacker News articles do- that a startup is the most preferable option available to anyone, at any time.
It isn't. Depending on your interests you may be fine working in a larger organisation- if you stick at it for a while (the same amount of time it would take to establish a startup) you may be able to call a lot of shots yourself and really start owning your job. Or maybe you'd enjoy the kind of research-like position that only a larger company can provide. Maybe you'd be best suited to a non-profit. It's all down to you.
I wholeheartedly second this. Even though I quit a high paying job which I could work any hours I wanted to and had full autonomy, I've known owning my own business was something in the makeup of my person for a long time now. I think people like me are the exception, though, and that a lot of the "coolness" of owning your own startup puts social pressure on people to do something they might not even be suited for.
I don't think the prototypical engineer is truly suited for startup life, and neither is the prototypical business guy. Both of those jobs need to typically work within an established framework, while a lot of startup businesses are about busting out of a framework or completely inventing your own.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with not being a millionaire/billionaire. Yes, you can't have your own island, design and commission your own uber-boat, or provide flu shots to an entire city, but a lot of people seem to be able to find happiness without those things.
Personally, my end-goal regardless of success is to teach a high school web/game programming course, or whatever is popular to learn at the time. The only reason I'm not doing that right now, is that I'm curious to know whether or not the drive inside me to build things is a part of my ego or my destiny.
They're very intertwined in a way that you won't be able to separate. The best way to find out whether you should do it or not ISN'T to not-do it, but to do it.
(Exception: When it involves potentially hurting other people irreversibly.)
I'm not sure how it is in the US, but in Australia getting a $400K mortgage when you're in your 20s is not uncommon. Real estate doesn't get cheaper, and it's much harder to buy when you're in your 30s with kids and a single income facing a now $500K mortgage. Sacrifycing debt for freedom does make it harder down the road.
I'm 29 now, but when I was in my early-mid 20s I had no problems working a day job and then coding nights and only sleeping a few hours. It's more painful than having no responsibilities, but you have that sort of energy when you're young so make the most of it.
Nowadays I'm actively rejecting promotions, more staff and more responsibilities as I've reached a point in my career where the pay is good and takes only 40 hours on a normal week. That leaves a lot of room for side projects whilst still laying a good financial base for the future.
So I agree with the OP's response except that you should consider waiting until you have implemented your idea and have a proven, consistent revenue stream from it before you up and leave. It may take a year to get to that stage, a bit of pain - but nothing worth doing is easy.
It's good to see comments like this on here, because it makes me feel less alone in the world. I've got some entrepreneurial spirit in me, but I also am fairly content being a cog in a larger wheel. I like steady income and insurance, and a full time corporate gig gives me that padding. If one of my nights-and-weekend side projects every picks up, sure, I'll run with it, but that's not now. It's also nice having someone willing to pay for me to go to conferences, and having other people answer the phone with things break.
> The only caveat I'd add is "don't quit your job if it turns out you enjoy it just fine".
I agree wholeheartedly, but would also add that creating a startup on your own is not the only option. If your dream is working at a startup, go work for one! I know many people (myself included) who have found enjoyment and fulfillment working at a small startup without having to actually start one.
If, of course, your dream is to found your own company, by all means do so :)
My go-to phrase here--and one that seems muted in the tech community--is that "there's more to a startup than the founder."
While that is true, the financial argument is often not so great. As an early employee you are often offered a below market salary combined with a very small amount of shares in the startup. If you look at it entirely in financial terms, you're likely losing out unless you negotiated well when hired.
Of course, there is more to these choices than just financial considerations.
Definitely true, and you're spot on that I did write this from the perspective of someone who enjoys startups to working for others. In my case, I spent a lot of time (several months) thinking seriously about whether to leave because my job was great and the people I worked with were excellent as well. In the end, I decided to jump and was surprised by how the difficulty even after all that forethought.
Funny, I've avoided startups precisely because I want to avoid working for others. The sense I've gotten is that "startup" means something very different from starting a business with your own money and contacts, and with monetization already figured out.
The latter makes a lot of sense to me, especially as a reason to quit a salaried position in an established company. So, I'm not sure it's fair to say that you prefer startups; it sounds like you just prefer to work with who you want and on whatever you want. There's much less risk there, versus what I've seen "startup" defined as, particularly because you've already worked well with your partners in a previous successful venture.
(P.S. - Hi George! I'm glad to hear you're having fun. CodeCombat looks very interesting.)
Hi to you as well, always nice to hear from you! Tell Kriti hello for me as well!
The fact that I'd worked with Nick and Scott before was a huge determinant, I'm not sure I would have been willing to leave my great job for an unknown team.
Hopefully we can get CodeCombat off the ground faster than Skritter, but who knows. I posted that link in the article and our poor Nodejitsu server suffered inordinately and we realized our design is atrocious. Keep on iterating. :)
It isn't. Depending on your interests you may be fine working in a larger organisation- if you stick at it for a while (the same amount of time it would take to establish a startup) you may be able to call a lot of shots yourself and really start owning your job. Or maybe you'd enjoy the kind of research-like position that only a larger company can provide. Maybe you'd be best suited to a non-profit. It's all down to you.