

Ask YC: prove commitment within two months? - Tichy

I am worried that my CV doesn't really mark me as the ideal founder. It seems to me I wasted so much time in my life (35 years old now), and even the projects I finished successfully (most I didn't finish) usually took too long, and did not reach the scope I was hoping for. In essence, there are not many achievements I am really proud about. It might just be my personal assessment, but still (agents love my Java consulting CV, but it doesn't mean anything to me). I have even publicly admitted to burnout syndromes on HN - big red flag? My karma also shows that I procrastinate a lot...<p>Anyway, I wonder about your opinions: is it possible to turn around that impression within two months, which is the time I could hopefully dedicate to preparing the next YC application?<p>I suppose the obvious path to take is to work on a demo day and night, and anyway, giving up is not an option (I might just have to try without YC funding). But still, I am curious about suggestions and opinions.<p>It is of course also the question if I will be able to pull it off, since historically I tended to get sidetracked. Why should it be different this time? It's not that I don't believe in me, I am just trying to be realistic - for this time to play out differently than the previous attempts, maybe I should have a better grasp on what went wrong and how to counter it, and I am not really sure I have that.<p>For YC application I have some hope to also come up with an intriguing idea, even though they say they don't care about the idea so much. But what about something like, say, Anybots? They ask for cool projects I have done, and I don't have any - so I didn't even apply in the end... Again it seems kind of obvious to just try to make something cool in the future. Anyway -maybe this post is just weird, or maybe some interesting comments will come in...<p>Edit: the question is of course a bit related to the "am I too old to startup" type of question. While I demand of myself to be intrinsically motivated, it might be too much to ask. Hoping to be accepted into YC (for example) could provide a good motivation boost.<p>The one thing all my successful projects had in common: I didn't do them alone. I might still have been the driving person behind them, but it seems I need to have at least some other person take an interest to actually go through with it. (I know that is not the kind of motivation YC provides, that is what co-founders are for. But working towards the application would have an effect, compared to working towards a void).
======
wallflower
> Anyway, I wonder about your opinions: is it possible to turn around that
> impression within two months, which is the time I could hopefully dedicate
> to preparing the next YC application?

Yes. The hardest thing is to get it going. And even, if you didn't get
accepted into YC, you would have started a habit of creating and working on
projects that you want to work on. Which is invaluable.

What is your definition of a cool project? I've posted about this before - and
I hate to sound like a broken record player but some of the most interesting
projects were done in a very short time. Yes, you might not be able to create
something in 4 hours but once you get the momentum going, a weekend project
might produce something.

"So, imagine my amazement when I had a glance at Twittervision, which was
created by David Troy using Ruby on Rails in 4 hours"

In the fair chance, you haven't heard this Ira Glass segment about the process
of creating/making (which I learned about from News.YC) - it inspires me and
may well you <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hidvElQ0xE>

~~~
Tichy
Thanks, will watch the video at home.

I definitely try to make my projects simpler and shorter, especially because I
worry about my endurance. One problem is that I constantly have new ideas that
often seem even simpler than the one I am currently working on. So it is
tempting to switch to the even simpler project, which ultimately leads to too
much distraction.

~~~
ScottWhigham
be like MC Hammer: "Break it down!" You have to take things in small chunks
for two reasons:

* You can't do it all with a few days of coding * You need little wins along to way to keep the wind in your sails.

For a website-based project, you want to put pen to paper and come up with a
plan for "What Has to Happen For Me to Make My First Sale":

* Demo

* Website

* Marketing

* Processes in place post-sale

Those are easy - so focus on coming up w/ a plan of action and timeline/budget
for implementing those. It's amazing just how much the planning process gets
you starting to feel energized and, "I'm actually doing it!"

Good luck :)

------
jfornear
> "I might just have to try without YC funding"

> "Hoping to be accepted into YC (for example) could provide a good motivation
> boost."

YC should not affect your motivation at all!

It sounds like your goal is not to start a successful business, but to be
accepted into YC. This brings up two things.

1) If you don't seem dedicated and committed to an idea, you are not an
attractive investment. Anyone reviewing your application is likely to pass.
Investors look for people that will succeed without them. What will your
motivation be in the case that you are accepted into YC? Why do you equate YC
with success?

2) Don't even think about YC right now. Like with all deals, you should assume
it won't happen until after it is set in stone. You can avoid the
discouragement and de-motivation that comes with rejection by keeping your
focus on the most important thing, the improvement of your product.

> "...the projects I finished successfully (most I didn't finish) usually took
> too long, and did not reach the scope I was hoping for."

You need to finish a project by yourself. Start small if you have to, but the
only thing that matters is that you finish something that you start. I think
this will help your confidence and help you get out of this pattern. Don't get
discouraged if it doesn't turn out the way you had hoped, but don't let it
drag on forever if there doesn't seem to be potential.

> "I suppose the obvious path to take is to work on a demo day and night, and
> anyway, giving up is not an option..."

I suggest reading some 37signals on this one. Just because you work on
something day and night does not mean it is time well spent, and sometimes
giving up is indeed the best option.

On a side note, don't get your identity in your achievements, failures, or
age. You are never too old or too much of a failure to do anything.

~~~
Tichy
My primary goal is not to get into YC, but the odds of making it probably have
an effect on how I will spend my time untill the application deadline. Maybe
that was the main reason for my post, to figure out if focussing on the YC
application even makes sense. I do believe that YC would increase my chances
of success by a big factor.

I think it wouldn't be a loss to focus on the application, because whether I
would be accepted or not, I would make progress with my project/startup. But
without the YC application, I would probably choose different projects. For
example smaller targets or less "sexy" projects. Maybe I would finish my old
projects instead of starting a "YC potential project".

This kind of "double-win"-thinking might be a frequent cause of my downfall,
because I don't focus on the most important point: what do I really want to
do. Instead, all the decision factors might get too confusing in the end.

I take your point and will try decide on my favorite project irrespective of
it's imagined YC potential.

------
cmos
The you that wrote this won't make it. Cleanse yourself of doubt and fill it
with (false if it has to be) confidence. You have 2 months to do a project you
are proud of and do complete.

Take a deep breath. Zoom out and for the next 2 months do nothing else but
focus on yourself. When you leave work don't have the idle thoughts about what
to eat for dinner and such. Cut the AC cord off your TV (or whatever usually
distracts you). Focus on doing only 1 thing, improving your self. Start and
finish a project that makes you proud. It doesn't have to be the most original
thought in the world, so don't waste time coming up with the 'big idea' - in a
way, it doesn't really matter what it is.

Just make sure you know 1 person who's life will improve because of it.

If you really want to change your life and put your stamp on something
meaningful, you have to dig deep. You are totally capable of this!

~~~
tptacek
Amen. And stop treating life like a series of college interviews. You win by
winning, not by convincing people you can win.

------
alex_c
I think you're coming at this from the wrong direction. The goal, presumably,
is to create a successful business. If you're going to reverse engineer a
process, start from that goal, not from an arbitrary step along the way
(YCombinator).

It sounds like you:

\- don't have an idea you're passionate about

\- don't have much (any?) entrepreneurship experience

\- have difficulties finishing a project once you lose interest

\- want to "make it"

My advice would be:

\- evaluate what "making it" means. Hint: it's not YC. Is it just working on
something cool? (you don't necessarily need to start a business for that). Is
it setting up a successful "lifestyle" business? Is it getting seed/angel/VC
funding, hiring employees, and dealing with the responsibility towards your
investors/employees/customers, and working towards an IPO or acquisition?

\- Find someone who has what you might be missing: passion about an idea,
ability for long-term commitment to a project, (possibly) entrepreneurship
experience. Provide the technical strength, and rely on them to keep you
motivated when you need it.

\- I want to say "just do a cool project", but it's not necessarily that easy
- if you haven't so far, maybe there is a reason for it, like the ones you
outlined. On the other hand, I AM going to say it - just do a cool project!
It's up to you to make this time different.

------
dataman85
You are thinking too much. If your idea excited you, just get to it. Stop
thinking if you can do it or not, just start trying and see if you enjoy the
process.

~~~
Tichy
Fair point - also, the law of sunk costs. What is past is past, ideally I
should only look forward (except for learning from mistakes). It's not always
easy not to worry, though.

~~~
j2d2
Worrying is fine. It's how you find problems. If you worry to the point of not
acting, you won't last very long. The process of finding and solving problems
doesn't have much room for delay in the context of entrepreneurship.

------
ScottWhigham
I was 33 and I had always been an "idea" person but I had never finished any
of them; I'd barely ever even started them. I had a new idea that I knew would
work and I just started working at it a few hours a week, then 10 hours a
week, 20 hours a week, then pretty soon I was working 40-50 hours a week for a
client and struggling to find the 30+ hours my company needed. It took me
about 3 years working part-time to get my company where I could go full-time
that way.

Is it possible that might fit what you're looking to do?

~~~
Tichy
I avoided to mention the "ideas" aspect as it is always met with so little
respect on HN ;-) So good to hear that an ideas person can eventually get
something done.

I find it hard to work on something else while I am consulting (day job), so
maybe for me your scenario is unlikely. On the other hand I need to earn
money, so it certainly is a possible road.

~~~
ScottWhigham
_"I find it hard to work on something else while I am consulting"_

No ####! Of course it's hard. Do you think I wanted to work 70-80 hour weeks
or play with my 2 year old? I wanted to play of course but the long-term
vision of creating lifetime security for my family over weighed the short-term
work. Read PG's essay "Inequality and Risk"
(<http://www.paulgraham.com/inequality.html>) for more.

I don't know YC's deal but can you tell me whether or not the term sheet they
put in front of you is a good one? If you say, "I don't know" or "No" or if
you haven't even thought that far, I'd say you are rushing into it. I would
guess that, if you have the mindset of, "If I get funded I'll do it", it's
gonna be hard to get funded.

~~~
tc7
Looking back, do you think sacrificing time with your kid was worth it for
lifetime security? Like, do you guys have a good relationship now, or did all
the work do any damage?

Just wondering -- I don't have kids yet, but I'd be worried that all that
money/security may not be enjoyable if I hadn't built my relationships with my
kids when they were young.

[edit: sorry for the offtopic, BTW.]

~~~
mrtron
I fear that a wife and kids will be a game changer too. I feel a sense of
urgency for many reasons, but that is definitely one of them.

There are many others, the opportunity cost to your corporate career for
example. The reduced bank account balance from where it could be if you sold
your soul. And the list goes on.

As much as we like to romanticize the process, there are a lot of risks and
pitfalls. Luckily for a lot of us, it is not a choice and we just aim to
minimize these hurdles!

------
chris_l
I find that if you can't keep focussed, that's because you are merely excited
but not passionate about your work. When the excitement wears off, you crash.

Why do you want to do a startup? What would you do if you didn't need any more
money?

~~~
Tichy
A good point. I easily get excited about new ideas and then I start to
compromise in the decision to work on the idea that interests me most, or the
one that seems the most promising in terms of money making.

I used to want to do research, but these days if I wouldn't need the money, I
would probably still do research in terms of doing a startup. I would like to
see something useful come off the things I research. I need to do a startup
because it is the only way I can see to be able to work on my own ideas and
make them real. Not needing money would probably just mean riskier startups.

In theory I could imagine that would be possible within a corporation, too,
but I don't see the path for me to get into such a position in a corporation.
So the only option I see is to startup.

------
neilk
I don't think there's anything in your history which ensures that you are not
going to be a success. Lots of successful people have lots of failures in
their past and many are procrastinators. Lots of them question their own
motivation and aren't totally confident about themselves.

I think the only thing that bothers me is that you don't seem to know why you
want to do a startup. Prove something to other people? Yourself? Make money?

------
vaksel
if you are going to wait for the perfect storm for your profile to start a
company, you'll never do it. To quote nike, just do it.

Something like 90% of people want to start their own business, but only 1%
actually does. Don't really remember exact stats, but that should be pretty
close

------
xenoterracide
you sound like me... maybe we could help support each other... and keep each
other going. if you like the idea should me an email xenoterracide@gmail.com.

I think one of the things that makes YC successful is the constant pushing and
positive re-reinforcement.

------
webwright
thinking and typing too much. Take the two months and prove your worth by
building something GREAT that has a great growth rate and happy users. If you
manage that, you remove a LOT of the risk that YC takes on by funding stuff
this early.

------
avner
when you say "game design" in your profile; and " <http://3boobs.de/> "

... your've gotta be kidding right?..right?

~~~
Tichy
That was just a fun side project. I used to want to become a game developer. I
worked for a mobile games company for a while, and developed some mobile games
and applications of my own. Except for the moon calendar, none got published,
though. And they had the scope aspect I mentioned, meaning, they were still
not really the kind of games I ultimately had wanted to create. Still, I
should give those unpublished games their finishing touches and publish them
myself - or maybe not, since the J2ME industry sucks...

These days, I am still interested in games, but it is not a priority anymore.
My main interest was always AI, and I thought games would be a nice area for
experimenting with AI. On the other hand, sometimes I still think that maybe I
should just create a really nice browser game, never mind that there are
already zillions of them around. I enjoyed programming games, so writing a
browser game would most certainly be enjoyable.

I wouldn't call something like 3boobs game design, because it is mostly an
existing game concept, not much to design. Programming a chess client (which I
also did) is also not game design.

