Comment by MarcelOlsz | Hacker News Reader

Comment by MarcelOlsz | Hacker News Reader

I've spent the last decade doing this. Building up my savings, draining them on an idea. I put in 40+ per week for a couple years on my last startup in the real estate space. Poached some top level VP's from the biggest firm in our country, but we ran through our capital too quickly due to too many pivots and licensing costs, I could only do no salary for so long, tough when your rent is $2.5k/mo.

Now I am back at my parents place far away from any city working on my own projects in the productivity space, a space I'm intimately familiar with. Theres a few tools I'm missing from my daily arsenal that I am building now.

I was too greedy in my goals and while we got funded and it was fun, ultimately it turned into nothing. I was of the "first to market / build a unicorn" mindset which as someone who doesn't come from money or connections, is pretty much impossible.

I am now trying to build a lifestyle company with a suite of tools in the productivity space, trying to hit $10k/mo MRR which doesn't scare me and I know is doable, as I've done it before (but unfortunately sold my stake to use that money on the venture I mentioned that failed). Bad move but hindsight is 20/20 I guess. I am focusing on building tools that solve my own problems.

So I'm 28 now, have under $1k in total net worth, but I am not going to stop until I am free from working a salaried job. 2 of my projects made money (sold them, dumb move, too bright-eyed and greedy), 11 of them didn't see a dime. I have never been more depressed in my life but I refuse to believe I can't hit at least a couple grand a month as I've done before, which is all I need to live my life. If only I realized this sooner. The reason I will keep doing this even if I don't succeed is because the regret of having not tried as hard as I can will haunt me every second of every day if I concede and hop on a salary. I don't want to spend the rest of my life on "what if?", and a life of sitting behind a glass wall consuming fine things does nothing for me. I don't want to be at the orchestra, or a restaurant, or a show. I want to be on stage, or be the chef, or be the conductor and for that you need time and money.

I know quite a few people with graveyard projects like this. Feel free to ask me anything, I'm an open book.

It's only a "failure" if you look at your net worth, right? It sounds like you have the experience, knowledge, and even resume of someone much older than 28. If you had instead spent ages 22-28 on a PhD, you'd still have no net worth, but people wouldn't see that as a failure.

That's a great point you're right, I'm still young. I'm not about net worth at all, I just want free time. If I'm working on my product 10 hours a day with a tight knit team and sustaining myself, that is success to me. Everything from there on is gravy.

im not so sure... IMHO if you spent 20+years in school and are up to your ears in debt and cant find a decent job... thats a big failure to me.

If they do manage to be their own boss then that’s a huge success. Worth the effort it it pays off.

On the contrary. If you do a PhD, you can get paid by the university and build some net worth. And people are impressed when you say you have a PhD, but do not care when you tell them about a graveyard project

> I was of the "first to market / build a unicorn" mindset

I'm not dissing that mindset at all, but it is essentially gambling. Over the decades, I've warmed to "the pioneers get all the arrows" mindset: that from a business perspective, it's better to be the second or third in a new area, because you can learn from the pioneer's mistakes. It's rare that the entity that invented a thing is the entity that makes the most profit from it.

It might be gambling I suppose, but it's actively encouraged by the VC companies who put a little seed money here and there. They want you to work yourself to death just in case you happen to get further investment. You may have no choice other than being first in a market - you don't always get a choice to be second or third when you see an opportunity.

Sounds like you have both the experience and talent necessary. I'm guessing it's only a matter of time until your next success.

Thank you! I sure hope so. I'm focusing on things I actually know. I knew this one guy who worked at a GM plant for two decades and started his own company manufacturing a part nobody would ever know exists, and now he's doing super well. So I'm taking a similar approach of building things that are useful to me and that I've had experience with on the job as it's all I know.

Exactly the same story here, but stretched out over a longer timeframe. Trying to build a lifestyle business (pet1.net) for a market I actually care about. I have a piece of software (atomicdroplet.com) that I've been selling for years and is still returning - albeit in very limited quantities. In short: this is a valid and non-suicidal way of making a living.

Keep in mind that tech is a tool for people to use to solve a problem. High tech that does not solve a problem is useless. My advice would be to focus on people first. What problem are people having that needs a solution? How can I solve the problem with the least of effort from the user's point of view? Customers are looking for products that make their lives easier/happier not the slightest bit harder.

I would go as far as getting a job in the space you want to focus on and look for problems there.

Apple always comes to mind. I can't think of any mind bending technology that they have invented but they've focused on the user's needs and have created a monster of a company by delivering products the customer wants to use.

Admirable. Keep pushing -- I admire the grit and grind. I believe in you.

Thank you I really appreciate it.

devils advocate... regret is a double edged sword. by sticking to one path that you have decided is the best, and turning your back to all others, you might ignore a great opportunity.

what is to say you cant work hard on something for someone else and be equally fulfilled?

all the most lucrative and fulfilling projects i have worked on, i was drafted into by others, not the other way around.

I find what I do enjoyable and I've had a lot of fun roles, but if I woke up with time and money on my hands I wouldn't be writing productivity software / web apps, I'd love to work on race related software but I have no math background. My main passions are piano and racing.

You're right I may miss a great opportunity and probably have, but landing a job that satisfies me is a much more accessible option than being able to dedicate all of my time to an idea at the drop of a hat. As I get older and my life gears more towards family I will have less time and steam to do what I'm doing now. I'm sort of stuck for the time anyways so there couldn't be a better time to keep taking on risk and sacrificing a couple opportunities. If nothing pans out then no worries, at least I tried and will happily go back to working and still probably try something when I'm older anyways.

There is also the added benefit that what I am doing now will directly benefit my future career, so even if I fail, not all is lost.

>what is to say you cant work hard on something for someone else and be equally fulfilled?

I can and I have, I've worked for a lot of great people. I'm just not dying to go back to the career route, I'd rather keep doing my own thing while I still can and take on a contract here and there.

>all the most lucrative and fulfilling projects i have worked on, i was drafted into by others, not the other way around.

Someone had to draft you though right? ;)

I would love to chat with you. Is there a way to contact you directly?

Give me your email and I'll reach out. Or msg me at @marcel.olsz on instagram.

Wrong IG name, its actually @marc.olsz

Maybe pick an industry? That way the fails add up to deep knowledge?

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