Gut Checks When Founding Your First Company | Hacker News Reader

Gut Checks When Founding Your First Company

jordancooper.wordpress.com

26 pointsjordancooper10 comments

[] I can read a 35 bullet points list to the end without getting distracted

> "I think there is one metric that can be used to measure the value of a human life and that’s impact....(p.s. i don’t use spell check…deal with it)"

I hate these kind of checklists because all they end up showing you is who you wish you were. Have someone else fill it out for you.

I answered no to a couple of them. But more importantly "I am primarily competing against myself" I need people around to compete with to bounce ideas off and raise the bar for each other

I am exactly in this scenario and answered "no" to only 3 of the statements. Taken at face value that's pretty encouraging.

When I started I failed 3 and 12 very badly:

- I do not need positive reinforcement from others in order to be happy/effective.

- I handle disappointment well.

4 months of repeated failure and rejection has fixed that. I now handle it very well indeed, and every time I fall short it provides me with determination to carry on and do better next time.

I'm still pretty bad at uncertainty, but I'm working on it. It's really hard to wait for a decision - much harder than dealing with a no (or yes).

I think a lot of the other things on the list, you wouldn't keep your attributes for long after starting a company. The problem is that you only have so long to change yourself before you run out of time and money.

I agree esp when you are in trenches with your startup morale does go low. With a very stressful and disappointing one year in 2008 even I said No to 3, 12 & 23.

23) I do not frustrate easily

Getting much better off-late though. Positive reinforcement from your own work works best, even if they are small.

I answer yes to every single one...man I need to get out of my mega-corporation job

well, why didn't you? Is it lack of savings or lack of confidence or something else?

lack of savings and student debt are tough to overcome

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