Ask HN: How startups changed you as a person?

2 points·8sigma··2 comments

I am sure startups brings lifestyle changes and even change in our thought process.What are the changes that you have witnessed in yourself after you became involved with startups?

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After exposure to the C* level, and being on the board of a quasi-non-profit that was trying to transform to a proper non-profit.... I realize the power games at that level are far more "important" - the technical work of course is the foundation, but if you have people with anti-social personality disorders at the helm, all the super improve-the-world tech matters little.

I perhaps am just unlucky, I am not trying to tar and feather all business majors and 'Management". But I have learned not to trust anyone at all when money and power is involved. My psychopath-dar has been greatly improved. Organizations with incompetent or worse management never amount to anything and they are a headache to work for.

When I was just a regular "joe" starting in the first Internet bubble, I went with a company where the management all had a track record at well known companies, and the ones I met seemed like decent people. It was a good company, but the bubble burst too fast before we could get any real traction. The other company I turned down imploded due to some drama and "too young" management.

Maybe its with experience, and working in a more traditional role for so long afterwards, but I feel like the biggest change was awareness of how long things take to do.

I still see people dive head first into problems and I just think "man, insurance is going to be immense," or "do you know how long that's going to take!" I can't work out if naivety is actually a benefit, or if these people see value or a future I don't.

So really, I see time as far more limited and more valuable as it ever was, and it stops me from picking up new things (for good or for bad).

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