[sunderw]

Hi Michael, congratulations ! In what ways do you think your disability has been a force or an obstacle to your startup ?

Also, combining your main job plus building a startup must have been very hard. Do you have an idea of how many hours you spent working each week in total ? I'm asking that because I too have a disability, and it's very hard for me to work more than 20h per weeks, but I'd love to start my own startup one day...

Have a great day too :)

[michaelcao]

You and I have disability physically but not mentally. I wake up 4.45 am everyday and go to bus for work. I reply to customer on the go. Software is a great way to earn passive income so we can do both full time job and start-up job. I wish you all the best. Please contact me if you have any problems which I could help.

[jnovek]

I’m in a similar boat — I am a founder and YC alum who became disabled a few years ago and I can’t currently work in a sustainable way. I want to work my way back very much.

For me, the rule is to keep making progress. If I’m always making progress I’ll eventually end up in the other side of this thing.

I push myself as far as I sustainably can in my current condition. I read papers and I do my best to control my medical narrative and experience. I try every new (or new to me) thing that I think might help. I just push and push and keep pushing.

It’s not unlike being a founder. Everything is two steps forward and one step back. Sometimes a new problem is just two steps back. In both cases you have to plow forward on your own and make a path where none (or almost none) exists.

Edit: feel free to drop me an email if you want to talk to someone about it, it’s in my profile.

[michaelcao]

I absolutely agree with you. Deliberate practice is a great way to improve performance bit by bit. I will drop you an email when i need to talk to someone and need advice from you. Thanks again.