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by pm24601 3962 days ago
I would say go work for another company. At 23 y.o. there is a lot to learn about managing people, running companies, planning and executing projects.

While you are looking for that next great idea, get the skills so an investor believes that you can execute on that great idea.
2 comments
onion2k 3962 days ago
I would agree with that advice, but for a different reason.

The fact is the gkjin evidently doesn't have any actual problems in his/her life. Being intelligent enough to go to a top university, wealthy enough to study abroad and then not need a job afterwards, and capable enough to try to start something ... that all adds up to a nice, comfortable life. There aren't any real pains to find solutions for. And seeing pains to find solutions for is where the spark of entrepreneurial inspiration comes from - startups are about seeing a pain and building a solution to it.

Getting a job, regardless of the industry, will expose you to problems that need solving. Most people try to solve them within the limited confines of their job so they can look great to their manager, but the trick to building a startup is to work with the problem long enough to see a solution, and then leave your job to build the solution and sell it back to the industry you worked in. Lots of great, successful startups begin this way.

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gkjin 3962 days ago
Wow that was pretty insightful. Never looked at it that way. It seemed like local startups are getting funded with half baked ideas or clones and I thought that I could do just as well as them so I was pretty hesitant to find a job. I guess that it was a little arrogant on my part to think of it that way. But yeah I have began to apply for jobs at local startups and some companies outside the tech industry. Thanks for the heads up!
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_navaneethan 3959 days ago
Your words are matching with PG's Growth.

http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html

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gkjin 3962 days ago
Would you recommend any particular industry? Should it be a startup or a bigger company?
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pm24601 3962 days ago
Definitely a startup - you will get lots of exposure to skillsets outside of your core training.

i.e. as a developer, you will be able to talk to sales people, or customer support people.

You will learn to talk and interact with people who think very different than you.

A big company rewards extreme specialization. A startup rewards versatility.

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