
Moonlighter's Dilemma: Guide to Starting a Startup PartTime - nostrademons
http://blog.buzzoo.net/2007/03/01/moonlighters-dilema-guide-to-starting-a-startup-partime/
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horar
It takes an extraordinary amount of drive to keep trying in the situation
described, but where does that drive come from?

Do you have a vision of something that "needs" to be done and you just have to
find out how to do it? ... Or are you driven by a need to do something,
anything, but you still don't know what?

At some point these combined forces overwhelm you, you must risk everything
and there will be no going back. Nor does success, however you measure it,
bring relief because the goal posts keep moving.

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elviejo79
Everything can be seen as an opportunity rather than a weakness. Like the
people at 37 signals say: "Embrace your constraints Let limitations guide you
to creative solutions

There's never enough to go around. Not enough time. Not enough money. Not
enough people.

That's a good thing...."

And also the gapping void: 7\. Keep your day job.

I�m not just saying that for the usual reason i.e. because I think your idea
will fail. I�m saying it because to suddenly quit one�s job in a big ol'
creative drama-queen moment is always, always, always in direct conflict with
what I call "The Sex & Cash Theory".

THE SEX & CASH THEORY: "The creative person basically has two kinds of jobs:
One is the sexy, creative kind. Second is the kind that pays the bills.
Sometimes the task in hand covers both bases, but not often. This tense
duality will always play center stage. It will never be transcended."
http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000889.html

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pixcavator
These suggestions resemble a lot the advice given to new assistant professors
on how to find time for research among all the teaching, committees, etc.
Strange to find it here... But #4 is very relevant (no offense YC News!).

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brett
I'm wishing I could successfully internalize #4 right now.

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staunch
A full-time startup project might mean 12+ hours a day. In that scenario it
doesn't really hurt to spend the first few hours "getting in the zone" or
"wasting time". If you only have a 3 hour slot then a couple non-productive
hours can be crippling.

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palish
Yeah, it can be crippling.

But once, I went a whole week sleeping 3 hours a day. I'd spend from 11-7 at
work, then 8 PM - 7 AM on my startup, sleep 'til 10, repeat. I loaded up on
NoDoz. After that week, I got a horrible cold, and was knocked out for the
week after that (though I still went to work), but in the meantime I got a
large number of features done.

My point is, if you have the drive and commitment, you will *find time*, even
if your situation is biased against finding time.

Shawn

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palish
My situation exactly. Thanks for the advice.

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yaacovtp
If you're an average American watching 4 hours of TV a day just swap that time
for your startup and you'll be halfway there. After a month of part time work
you'll be able to tell if you should go full time or not.

I'd rather be fully immersed in whatever I'm working and make great rice and
beans.

