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by anileated 1080 days ago
If you put 100% of income—remaining after paying life costs (how much is that? I hope you do not rent!)—into work, it means you: do not travel, do not go to any events that cost money, do not dine out much, do not have any other hobbies that cost money (sports? music? photography? LEGO? DIY?), do not date, do not need to support a family, do not have emergencies for which you pay out of pocket, etc.

Are there people who just do not need any of those things? Maybe, but I would question it. (Too often what you think you need could be different from what you actually need.) Personally, even as someone who enjoys software engineering and would do it as a hobby, I think I would be quite miserable.

Here is what I think is reasonable: Someone would have an idea that is attractive for YC et al., raise money, and be able to comfortably afford all those things while working on a company. That is, I think, the promise of the leading quote in TFA. Unfortunately, the quote is phrased as if they are out there to help people start companies, while in reality it is about starting businesses with specific potential for explosive growth that are attractive to VC.
2 comments
s1artibartfast 1080 days ago
I agree that there is a market for both, your do or die founder and your comfort focused founder with a good idea. the markets are just different and unequal.

They are out there to help people start companies, just not all people and ideas in equal measure.

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HeyLaughingBoy 1079 days ago
> Are there people who just do not need any of those things?

Yes. That would have described me very well at one point in my life. Coincidentally, it was at the time I was running my first (unsuccessful) business.

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anileated 1078 days ago
Did you at least still participated in social media and such, or it was literally just work?

If it was just work, do you now think it was a good idea to ignore everything in life except work?

I.e., you thought you didn’t need those things and you actually didn’t need those things, vs. you needed them but you thought you didn’t and it caught up with you eventually.

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HeyLaughingBoy 1076 days ago
Social media didn't exist yet.

I was just fine.

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anileated 1076 days ago
You did not answer the question, but OK.
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