Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by joshmlewis 4832 days ago
A lot of peoples eyes glaze over when they go into startups because they hear all the success stories. It can definitely happen in this field, but most people don't realize what it takes. I hate that starting a company is becoming almost trendy now and everyone is trying it.

Edit: and I guess on one hand innovation and providing jobs is good but for everyone to want to do it now is a little crazy.
4 comments
k-mcgrady 4832 days ago
>> I hate that starting a company is becoming almost trendy now and everyone is trying it.

I don't think that's true, it just looks that way inside our tech bubble. If I look at the 100 people I know best (all in their early/mid twenties) only myself and 3-4 others have started businesses. I've stuck at it for about 5 years now, the others only lasted between 1 month and 4 months. I don't know for sure but I believe most businesses that are started are still local service businesses (barber, butcher, convenience store etc.) which you wouldn't think from reading the tech press everyday.

link
obviouslygreen 4832 days ago
Honestly, as soon as you've started a company and actually worked at it for a little while, you realize how little that means. A company is a legal entity; it's easy and (can be) cheap to establish. Building a business is a totally different matter, and I don't think people understand how different the two are.

My guess is that most rational people who attempt the former learn to respect the latter, and either do a better job the second time (or, rarely, figure it out the first time) or decide they're better off working for someone else.

Of course, that formula fails as soon as some gasbag gets VC money for spouting the right spin... but hopefully that's a very, very small minority. :)

link
flyinRyan 4832 days ago
> I hate that starting a company is becoming almost trendy now and everyone is trying it.

I hate that taking an office job was ever trendy and that most people do it.

link
samsolomon 4832 days ago
>> I hate that starting a company is becoming almost trendy now and everyone is trying it.

I think it is fantastic that people want to create companies. After all entrepreneurs take risks to create jobs, value and wealth.

link
mbetter 4832 days ago
I created my company to buy office supplies.
link