[layer8]

Wanting to do a startup without first having an idea always seems completely backwards to me. Ideas should precede the desire for a startup. You should want a startup because you have an idea you feel strongly about, not the other way around. Otherwise this tends to entail the wrong incentives.

[freedomben]

I don't agree. I think they are somewhat independent. Of course you have to be very careful that you don't take a bad startup idea and do it simply because you want to do a startup, but IMHO startup desire is often and important pre-requisite for doing anything with your idea. I've know plenty of people (myself included) who had good ideas at times when they didn't have the desire to execute on them, and they are just a fun lunch conversation and nothing more. But when you have that backing desire and the right idea comes to you that you believe in, the magic can happen. With a truly great idea sometimes the desire can follow the idea, but that in my experience is the exception rather than the rule.

[ketzo]

I think it’s not unreasonable to just want to start a startup for its own sake.

- work really hard on your own business

- create a new thing rather than work on an old one

- work with a small group of very motivated people

- low possibility of huge financial success

There are, of course, plenty of downsides. And I agree that at some point you need motivation other than these. But I don’t think it’s totally silly to look at the startup-founder life and think “I wanna try that”

[tunesmith]

Well you also have to figure out how to wire yourself to be motivated to recognize and notice problems with an eye for analysis and opportunity. I don't think that happens automatically. The motivation behind doing that might very well be the desire to someday do a startup.

[blowski]

What if the idea startup founders are passionate about is making a lot money running (and selling) a tech company?