[mgkimsal]

Would you have listened to yourself or anyone who'd told you that 5 years ago? I've got some people in town that I do some mentoring with, and I've given them most of this list over the last few years, and generally it's ignored. However, I'll get a call, email or coffee with some 'hey - gotta tell you something!'. I listen as they excitedly share some revelation which is pretty much exactly what I'd told them 2 years earlier. I initially took it personally, but I think now it's more a case of "you gotta learn for yourself". As much as people think they can 'crush it' by reading garyv's book, it's not until you're out there living things day to day that most of this stuff is really driven home.

Another thing I've learned is that it's not what you say, but who you are when you say it. Both who you are to yourself, and who/what others perceive you to be when you're saying it.

[jlgreco]

I would say that a message coming from my future sell would probably be treated differently than a message from somebody else in the present. Unfortunately, that "treated differently" would probably involve my past self seeking psychiatric attention.

You could say something to your past self that would verify your identity in an attempt to make your words carry more weight, but I don't think there is much you can do to convince a past self that you were not a figment of their imagination.

[zcid]

When the student is ready, the master appears.

[dave_sullivan]

It's a tough balance--at some level, if you're starting a business, you've got to be pretty stubborn--otherwise you'd just take everyone else's advice and get a job like "everyone else in the world". But you've also got to be flexible and open-minded enough to know when you're wrong, and be able to admit it. And if you want to keep people on your side, give credit where credit is due!

I laughed when you mentioned people not taking advice only to later take the advice but believe they came up with it themselves. It's really annoying when it happens to me, but I've certainly done it myself. I'm not sure why it happens that way exactly, but I try to be aware of it at least and always try to be very gracious for anyone taking the time to offer advice in the first place, whether I take it or not. And later on, when I end up taking the advice anyway, I really do try my best to not believe I came up with it myself.

[overgryphon]

It's hard to give others advice that will help them. You know what you wish you knew 5 years ago, but much of that may be inapplicable to others in a similar position now.

Take the list posted here. It could be terrible advice to a different start-up founder with similar goals if that person already knows how to code, and is working on a product that is more complicated than a 2 week prototype can cover.

[mgkimsal]

agreed, the 'learn to code' is bad advice for someone who knows how to code. almost self-explanatory, really. but other 'advice' - guidelines, really - that I've doled out has centered around networking and marketing. And I get ignored, in favor of people burying themselves in code and minutia (logo sizings, colors, etc).

But if when FamousPersonX suggests that "you should be networking more, getting feedback, and iterating on smaller offerings of functionality while expanding your network of interested customers", somehow that's revelation from on high, and how insightful that is, and wow... no wonder they're a huge success, etc.

Doesn't even actually mean the people in question follow the advice (generally they don't) but the reaction is annoying.

[methodin]

It's a good point to make. I feel strongly that the people who advance in their lives actually learn something from their mistakes. We are all stubborn to some degree but as long as you can realize when you are wrong and move forward that's all that really matters.