
I'm out, baby - palish
First, I want to say <i>thank you</i> to each of you.  Everyone in the Hacker News community has contributed to the creation of this incredible venue for exchanging ideas, and you deserve a lot of credit for it.<p>Friday will be my last day at my corporate job.  In the past, I've mentioned that as soon as I'd saved up $15k, I was going to focus full-time on getting my startup off the ground.  I recently achieved that goal:<p>http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/315/random_pics/bank.PNG<p>Wish me luck.<p>-- Shawn
======
rewind
I saw the title and thought it was someone bitching about HN content going
downhill and leaving the site and was ready to tell you good riddence, but the
actual post was a welcome alternative. Good luck!

I still remember the drive home on a Friday when I left for the last time --
an inexplicable feeling. When I pulled the pin about eight years ago I had
about $25K put aside and it went a lot faster than I thought it would!!!

Either way, you're in for a wild ride. Enjoy it!!!

------
johnyzee
I did two and a half months of that two years ago. Rented a private office and
had all day every day to work on my idea.

Today I don't even know how those months just disappeared, except that I got
nothing substantial done at all. I do remember a few 'small distractions' from
an earlier client that needed 'a little' work done. Then there was the
sleeping in and the internet procrastination. Oh, it was also really lonely
and weird.

My advice is to be acutely aware of your opportunity and cease every second
like your life depended on it. Plan which things you need to get done, with
priorities and estimates. Also, try to have someone else involved in the
effort, if only a couple of hired gun programmers. That's how I am going to
play it when the next time rolls around (real soon now).

~~~
staunch
> Today I don't even know how those months just disappeared...

Could it be that you were a bit burned out? I know it used to take me about
2-3 months between contracts or jobs before I got relaxed and hungry enough to
want to dive back into really hard work. A longer runway than 2.5 months is
definitely a good idea if you're starting from ground zero.

~~~
davi
I was really burned out in 2000, but I had enough savings from the bubble to
take some time off. It took me about 6 months to get really interested in
things again, and what I ended up doing professionally at that point was
totally different from programming for a living.

------
rms
Congratulations!

(one of my favorite things about this community is that the appropriate
response to "I quit my job" is "Congratulations!")

------
tdavis
Congratulations. Truly.

You've chosen to actually _do_ instead of just pipe-dream, and you're taking a
huge risk all for the reward of working on something you actually _love
doing_. This is what life is all about.

Even if this attempt fails, you've already won.

------
noodle
more appropriate title: "i'm in, baby"

------
fallentimes
Fuck yes. Congrats man and keep us all posted. If you have a beta, please sign
me up: dan[at]ticketstumbler[dot]com.

Friday is going to be one of the best days in your life.

~~~
socratees
yes man, its goin to be one of your best days

------
patrickg-zill
Shawn, welcome to a rewarding , frustrating, jaw-dropping, wonderful, scary,
awesome part of your life. Taking risks may be risky but the alternative is to
never know what might have happened... looking back I feel worse about the
chances I didn't take, than the chances I did take.

------
raffi
When I left the military I had substantial savings to get a startup off the
ground and finish a graduate degree.

I decided to write software to help people write better. I always had issues
with my own writing as was excited about an extended GNU Style / Diction that
could curb my own bad habits.

I created <http://www.polishmywriting.com/> as a technical demonstration for
my rule engine. I spent the month of June working very long days to write the
engine, build the site, and research/import nearly 8,000 rules into the
database.

Once I had completed this, I decided to reach out to my friends and old
coworkers to get feedback. To my surprise there wasn't much interest. I took
this as a red flag about the technology. Without any local validation/support
I felt down.

Then I met with some management consultants. Wonderful people! They were
willing to work with me through the process of turning the technology into a
product. We discussed CMS/blog software integration, a facebook application,
and even a tool to aid the workflow for technical writing departments in
corporations. With this I felt up.

I took my list of ideas and their tips on how to develop a market study home
with me. I looked at the site and how much effort I put into the development
up to that point. I then looked at how much effort it would take to go from
there to one of the product ideas (plus handling the business side) and nearly
collapsed from the anticipated exhaustion. At this point I felt down.

Someone once said that an early startup is full of self-doubt and loneliness.
Truer words were never spoken. About 6 weeks in I succumbed to this and it
took probably another ~8 weeks before I admitted to myself I wasn't making
progress and decided to interview for a position. Thankfully my last semester
of school started back up which helped force my hand and restore a sense of
purpose.

Anyways, here are some things I could have done to combat the self-doubt and
loneliness of my venture:

1) before developing the product, a rudimentary marketing plan would have
helped. Even something as simple as visit websites of corporate blogs, analyze
their copy, and send them a report of their most common mistakes. I could have
then used this as an excuse to get them to signup for a mailing list, take a
survey, or even converse with them to gauge interest.

Earlier feedback would have helped me make an informed choice about whether to
continue or to dump the path.

2) Make sure you either have a partner or you're well networked with like-
minded technical entrepreneurs in real life. I moved to Syracuse, NY and in
the summer time it isn't exactly a tech hotspot. We do have a good business
incubator here. SCORE and the local business community are good about being
their to provide business-sense. I think being around other people doing the
same type of thing would have helped provide an example to emulate. This is
probably why location is so important. Going through the roller coaster of
pursuing an idea is just that, a roller coaster, and having people around who
understand it will help.

3) I like to travel and buy nice clothes. My life style while in the military
consisted of nearly one trip a month. Traveling was a big part of who I was.
When I left I decided to cut out traveling and the occasional fun outfit as
unnecessary luxuries. I should have found a way to include these things
somehow (even to a reduced extent) so that I didn't feel like I was giving up
a large part of myself. Rewards throughout the process may have helped to ease
the process. My dad keeps warning me "make sure on your next venture that
you're able to support your life style, you learned the hard way that you're
not happy just hiding in your apartment playing on a computer all the time"

4) If you're on your own, don't be afraid to hire out certain aspects of the
project. When I'm ready to try again, I kid you not, I'm going to outsource
everything I can get away with. Doing it all on my own became too daunting.
Once I figured out that I could alleviate the workload with outsourcing, I had
become risk averse and didn't want to lose any more money. Once I build up my
next cushion I plan to accelerate my next startup effort through outsourcing.

Overall, I'm happy I did what I did. I'm sure I had to learn these lessons one
way or the other. When I pursue my next venture I'll make sure that:

* I am in the right location, * I have a network of tech entrepreneurs to reach out to * I'll market and get potential customer feedback ASAP! * I'll use outsourcing to my advantage

Good luck!

~~~
jbenz
Just to let you know, I was one of those people who reviewed and commented on
PolishMyWriting when you posted it here 16 days ago.

Your site has continued to stick in my head. There's been more than one
occasion that I've thought this email or that blog post should have been run
through your system.

HN has introduced me to a lot of new sites, and not one has struck me as
immediately functional as yours.

I think it could be very popular. My only piece of advice (and honestly no
offense to Ashley Johnson) would be to hire a new graphic designer to give it
an overhaul.

I like your idea of analyzing corporate blog copy and sending them the
results, but why not do that for any popular blogger? If they use your
service, they might write about you. There are a lot of blogs out there about
blogging.

Good luck, to both you and Shawn.

~~~
raffi
Thanks for the advice... this story takes place mostly in June. Everything I
wrote about feels like ancient history to me now. Once I started moving to my
personal plan B I've found a lot of the effects I wrote about reversed
quickly. That said, I introduced my tech demo to news.yc about 2 weeks ago.

I fully agree with your assessment that I could use a better designer.

Really though, this is about Shawn here. I see a similar situation, cash in
hand, running off to start a venture. I hear the sound of clanking brass
spheres.

Oh and I second what Shawn said. This community is awesome. I think I started
to read news.yc in July and found the existence of like minded folks a real
boon.

------
rantfoil
Congratulations, Shawn! Taking the first step is huge, and you're on your way.

------
ojbyrne
Release early and iterate, stay hanging around here, don't be afraid of
negative feedback. And don't give up!

~~~
huhtenberg
> _Release early_

Though never release half-baked cr@p. You have exactly one chance to make the
initial splash, don't waste it.

~~~
gabrielleydon
"Though never release half-baked cr@p. You have exactly one chance to make the
initial splash, don't waste it."

This is absolutely not true! Release ANYTHING. A half baked product will
provide you with required flexibility youll need when the market tells you
what you really should be making.

~~~
furiouslol
Agree. Just don't go on a publicity blitz before your product is at least beta
stage.

~~~
colinplamondon
(Looking at you, Cuil)

------
mrtron
I bet you will come to cherish that extra 951.10.

Congrats, and let me chime in that it is the best move you can make too. You
only live once, it will be great regardless of how it turns out, all those
things are true.

------
cmos
So congratulations are in order! First off, kudos on the willpower to save
$15k. That's no small feat. And secondly, remember this, for every low point
there is an equal and opposite high point.

You are a complete idiot. You left a perfectly good job for the dream of a
lifetime. Relish that every day from now on will be amazing. And possibly just
a tad horrible.

------
bluefish
You've already done the hardest part. Even if it doesn't work out, you've
stepped up for what you believe in. Lots of people reading this wish they had
the courage to do what you're doing.

Best of a luck, a stranger

------
umjames
Congrats. I envy you.

Someone may have asked this, and if so, could you point me to your response.
Did you tell your corporate job that you were leaving to pursue your own
startup when they asked why you were voluntarily leaving?

I wonder if it's better to be 100% honest about this when leaving your day
job. Does anyone have any advice on handling this situation?

------
aston
Good luck!

(also, thanks for using Dropbox...)

------
rickawho
Awesome. I'm 2 months into the same process. It is full of ups and downs but
infinitely more rewarding than where I was.

Except that I am still waiting to get my Dropbox account.

~~~
palish
You now have one. Check your e-mail. :)

Also, welcome to Hacker News.

~~~
khangtoh
How about sending me one as well! Thanks!

~~~
mattmichielsen
Email address?

------
wastedbrains
Congrats I am now going on about a year and a half since quiting my job on
less than what you have. I am sure you will find ways to make it work.

It is a great and crazy ride.

------
Protophore
Congrats Shawn! I think that Robert Frost said it best: Two roads diverged in
a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveller, long I
stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the
undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I
kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted
if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made
all the difference

------
watmough
Sweet, congratulations!

Remember to have a backup plan. You _will_ appear smarter to corporates, once
you are outside, but don't burn bridges.

Good Luck with your plans! (I just did the same thing, but, at least my wife
is still working)

------
iamdave
Good luck man, and congrats on meeting your goal! Please come back and let us
know how you're doing, we'd love to continue to inspire someone who's living a
dream

------
ninjaa
1\. get a partner if possible, esp if he/she will invest real $$ as well. if
going solo, get a peer review group set up (beta users, your friend who is a
web designer/technical type, your mom, target market, so on). The longer
people hear about your product or service, the more likely they will jump on
board as soon as it is ready. And people are really good at finding other
useful people. Actively network (not necessarily like crazy, more just reality
check * small multiple)

2\. focus on the business, not the software (freshbooks!). This also means
that if you need more than your 15K, start hunting for financing or cash
_now_. Cash flow > everything else. When you're sweating laundry money and
forgoing Starbucks or a pint at the local NOTHING gets done. You just have to
punch past the line where you're "adding features" and instead "fulfilling
business needs". A business that's bleeding red has more value than a finished
product w/o customers and their attendant baggage - sales marketing support
etc.

3\. show off the product to many before you think it's "ready", because
otherwise your baby will never be ready. Don't even think about competition
until you have something competitive - and if you're in internet business, the
market is big enough for everybody. Never lie, but do promote your shit to
anyone who will listen.

4\. Set up a proper dev and DVCS from day -1. Write functional tests so you
can at least know if you break functionality while adding features. And docs
rule. (Almost) always write code like you won't read it until 3 months later.

5\. outsource and manage-host _everything_ reasonable

6\. If it's consumer facing software and not middleware - UI IS EVERYTHING.
And UI always takes way longer than the so called "hard stuff".

7\. always push yourself: not to the limit, but just beyond where you think
you can go. The "I can't believe I did that" feeling is my personal favorite.

And there will be a lot of feelings. This rollercoaster ride will be rough,
but when you're on the way up or at the top ... BOOM ... spring in your step
... pebbles in your shoes ... Michael Phelps ain't got nothing on me (ok, that
was extreme, but the "I AM KOBE" effect does rock).

In case you didn't read it, Young Money intervied Mark Cuban recently. He says
it all better than me:
[http://www.youngmoney.com/entrepreneur/entrepreneur_profiles...](http://www.youngmoney.com/entrepreneur/entrepreneur_profiles/041703_01)

All the best!!!

------
crowbar
Congratulations! You have no idea how much I envy you right now. Even with the
hardships that will come, you will be free. Free! I'm currently in the middle
of saving up my own money and though I still have a ways to go, it feels even
further away by the minute.

Make an appropriate mixtape for the occasion. It's time to rock.

------
aresant
Shawn - congrats. You'll never regret this decision.

------
cosmo7
Just one word: plastics.

~~~
briancooley
Nice reference, and a classic movie:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxihhBzCjk>

------
shafqat
I wish you the best. I took this step about 3 months ago (and also announced
to the HN community). I've never looked back since. Working on my startup
(NewsCred) fulltime has been some of the happiest days of my life. Best of
luck!

------
qhoxie
That is an inspiring move. Best of luck to you.

------
profgubler
Congratulations. Have fun with it. I am going to have to do the two jobs thing
myself for a while, though. A wife and kid need income. You are in the perfect
position to be doing what you are doing.

------
brfox
I thought this was going to be a post about an old Seinfeld episode.

------
icco
As you wander into the great unknown to create the next big thing, remember
two important things: 1) The little guys and 2) The great words of Dave
Chappell, "Byahhhhh!"

Best of Luck.

------
donniefitz2
Awesome. Now make it happen. ; )

------
tricky
Tear it up, brother. I think we're in the same town and I've lived a few years
in a van with a crappy band... You ever need anything give me a shout.

------
raheemm
Good luck dude! I'll raise a drink to you this Friday!

------
hwijaya
Congratulations and good luck Shawn! It's incredible!

------
livando
I shall live vicariously through you. All the best!

------
zacharye
Very awesome - best of luck to you on your journey!

------
nickb
Good luck Shawn :) EXCELLENT move!!

PS: Hit me up on gtalk sometime.

------
nostrademons
Congrats, and good luck! The road begins now...

------
knarf
Congratulations and good luck Shawn. I'm on the same journey but two months
behind you. Yet the end of the tunnel is in sight :)

------
jyothi
Be frugal, hope the best yet stay focused on the bottom-line. make money seek
glory. Run fast and I wish you every success.

------
martythemaniak
Congrats and good luck :)

I'll join you one of these days...

------
vnorby
someone mention what his startup is for noobs? (good luck!)

------
migpwr
Before opening this I thought this came from someone that sold their
company...

------
dbreunig
Good luck! Always nice to see the real world result of sites like this!

------
gills
Congratulations. I'm on week 2 of freedom and it's an excellent thing.

------
raju
Good luck Shawn! Keep us posted on how things are turning out for you.

------
hollywoodcole
Good luck, Shawn! If you don't mind me asking How old are you?

------
herewego
Kick some ass! Congrats on your self-promotion Mr. Founder :)

------
jhickner
Good luck! This is the best decision you'll ever make!

------
rnesh
Good luck. I look forward to seeing what you build.

------
merrick33
beginning of the rest of your life starts now

------
mattmaroon
Good luck, baby.

------
volida
good luck! persistence and hard work!

------
asdf333
Be frugal and execute like a madman.

Godspeed.

------
swombat
Congrats!

------
andreyf
Congrats!

 _cough_ karmawhore _cough_

------
bkj123
Congratulations Shawn!

------
dkd
Wish you the best!

------
MoeDrippins
Good luck.

See you in a few months.

------
known
Welcome Shawn.

------
siculars
congrats! make that money last.

------
brentsg
Congrats man. Best of luck.

------
ld50
quitting your day is foolish. income is income. you can always start your
project on the side. now if you run low on cash you're going to have to waste
time interviewing for jobs or begging for money. since you don't have a proof
of concept, you're going to have a much harder time begging for money. at the
least you should see if they'll let you stay on part-time (20 hrs/week or so),
if not take you back full-time. get something working using your nights and
weekends.

~~~
staunch
I agree it's a good idea to get something going while still employed. I
disagree it's "foolish" not to though. I think the #1 cause of failure for
most startups is never taking a plunge at any point. I know too many people
who have dreams that remain dreams for so long they're eventually forgotten.
It can be _really_ hard to do a good job on a side project if you're the kind
of person who tends work really intensely on one thing at a time.

Better to take the risk (if you can) and have a real shot at success than
always be waiting until "tomorrow". He's forcing himself to succeed or fail.
People are capable of a lot when they don't have an easy out. How many
successful companies were side projects? Maybe 5-10%? That's a damn low number
if you realize how many people have side projects they wish they had the balls
to turn into companies.

My big concern is that $15k just isn't that much cash. Unless you're living
somewhere ridiculously cheap or rent free (parents) that's probably just a few
months. Not enough to get the profitability for almost anyone. YC companies
only work because they get 3-4 months free, can spend their own money after
that, and have a really good shot at getting funding.

Hats off to you, Palish. Good luck.

~~~
palish
Thanks. I burn only a few hundred bucks a month, currently. I've been living
at a friend's trailer with his band. In exchange for contributing around the
house, I get a roof over my head and all the Ramen I need, so not a bad trade.
I'm aiming to stretch the money to last a year and a half, but realistically
I'm planning for one year. It may also help that I'm 20... It would be hard to
sustain this kind of lifestyle after I have assets, I think. I'm also grateful
that I'm working with an extremely talented partner.

You're correct. To get tasks done, I have to intensely focus on them one at a
time. It has been frustrating to build a product during nights and weekends. A
lot of times you simply feel too burned out after work to continue on
essentially a second workday. You do anyway, of course, since that's what's
required -- but why go through that stress? It is such a relief to have ~50
hours of my life back per week. I'm also fairly sure that those hours won't be
wasted, or that the waste will be small, because it's actually a lot of fun to
resist temptations like tv, forums, games, etc. It's so much more satisfying
to create than to consume.

~~~
wallflower
> I'm also grateful that I'm working with an extremely talented partner.

Congratulations! If you don't mind me asking, what is the situation with your
partner (did he or she take the plunge too?)

"Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a
deep breath before you begin talking. Aim for the stars. Keep grinning. Be
bloody-minded. Argue with the world. And never forget that writing is as close
as we get to keeping a hold on the thousand and one things--childhood,
certainties, cities, doubts, dreams, instants, phrases, parents, loves--that
go on slipping , like sand, through our fingers." - Salman Rushdie

------
pageman
congratulations! The journey of a thousand miles starts with is one BOLD step!
:)

------
vaksel
Maybe you should wait another day...its probably bad karma to do this on the
anniversary of 9/11

