to clarify: i was speaking up here in Seattle for Startup Day, and i was asked to do a talk on "Why Do a Startup".

i wasn't feeling in a particularly positive mood, and in fact i hate when people do the duplicitous inspirational talk about startups & entrepreneurship... which is usually hard & full of fail.

i thought a more realistic look at the downside of entrepreneurship would be useful, so i offered some experiences from my own early startup consulting business in the late 90's, which was a lot of stress & hassle for not much return (small exit, <$1M).

i think people who realistically look at the downside of entrepreneurship are more prepared for the journey, and if they still choose the path they at least know the risks.

(note: there are many lightweight forms of prototyping and startup entrepreneurship that don't have these risks, but in this case i was emphasizing the typical experience).