[leeHS]

This really hits home.

I'm 33, wife, son, well paying job. I'm also passionate about food and have 'just' launched a recipe scrapbook web application. It's been tough. Last night at 2am I was writing e-mails, and coding, while trying to rock our newborn son to sleep.

You mentioned risk. That's interesting. I'm by no means successful in my venture (yet!), but I've been able to get this far on about $100 and amazing support from my wife. So my risk has been on the extreme low side. Now I'm trying to drum up some interest, and marketing is new for me. So where do I go from here? Find a foodie co-founder who is awesome at hustling? Stay the course, try my best, and see where this goes? Quit my job and just go for it?! Not sure yet.

So I guess I'm just saying, go for it! Don't quite your job yet, get your wife on board, give yourself 6 months, and see what you can do! It's going to be TOUGH! But your passion should carry you through.

[sebandr]

Depending on what your business idea you should find folks that you mesh well with and who bring skills that you lack - you can't be everything to everyone so find experts that share your vision. If you need a sales or marketing guy, you can find them too - but be sure that's what you need. Know your market, know your product and then figure out how you'll make your business work - only then will you have a better idea of the sort of marketing, and sales folks you'll need. Start by reaching out to friends and trusted folks to leverage their smarts, reach out to their networks for help and build on that. Good luck - I love foodie stuff - sounds like a cool idea.

[leeHS]

Thanks sebandr.

I didn't want to give a link to the site in my first comment, as it didn't seem appropriate. But if you're a fellow foodie, I'd love it if you could have a look and give me your thoughts.

mylifethroughfood.com

[sebandr]

I'll be happy to- I'll do it today - and I assume you have contact info on the site.

[leeHS]

Right on the home page at the bottom. Thanks in advance!

[cannuk]

It's really amazing when you think "I never hear about anyone that has made it, or is even trying to do this with wife/kids/mortgage..." and then someone posts on hacker news and all of a sudden, there is a support group.

[sebandr]

That's kinda cool actually - a support group for people thinking of a start up - given that more and more folks see this as a viable option (and probably the way the US will launch into the next wave of innovation) - there will probably be a demand for places to go and just ask plain questions, get coaching, or just support when it's late and you think this is going nowhere and all you need is a pep talk. I'm game.