

Ask HN: Startup people are narcissists? - rameshnid

I was reading a book on narcissism(http://www.amazon.com/Narcissism-Epidemic-Living-Age-Entitlement/dp/1416575987 ) and I realized most of the entrepreneurs I know are in some way very narcissistic.<p>I was wondering if it was possible to want to change the world and yet not be influenced by narcissism?<p>Wanting to change the world is narcissistic?<p>Adding value to peoples life is not?<p>As a startup is it important to brand outrageously like most of them do. "Change the world" "capturing peoples life"<p>Is sober the new outrageous?
======
nostrademons
I don't think that most of the successful startup founders I know are
narcissists. They can turn on the confidence when necessary (eg. to close a
negotiation), but for the most part they're quite humble.

I think that startup founders _you hear about_ often are narcissists. Founding
a company isn't really a narcissistic thing to do, but seeking press
(particularly for yourself instead of your company) is. Thought experiment:
how many times do you see Dropbox in the press as a product, vs. how many
times do you see Drew Houston as a founder? And compare that to how often you
see Mahalo as a company vs. Jason Calacanis as a founder.

------
tjr
Narcissistic? Maybe some are. Maybe even many are. I don't have data to say
one way or the other, but even if we assume that most entrepreneurs are
narcissistic, I highly doubt it's a requirement.

My own view on business is that the fundamental point is to provide something
of value to other people. The focus is not on me, but on them... what can I do
to improve their life? What service or product can I provide that will help
someone else?

To break out of the standard pattern of getting a job and working anonymously
in an office would certainly require confidence in yourself, that _you_ have
something you can provide to others yourself, not just as an employee of
another company. Perhaps narcissistic people tend to find it easier to break
out of that pattern and into their own business, but if obsession with oneself
ever does lead to successful business, I suspect it's a correlation at best,
not a causation.

------
pwhelan
However, are the successful ones narcissistic or just confident?

Narcissism is a flaw of overvaluing yourself to the point where it negatively
impacts relationships and performance. I can't see many successful
entrepreneurs getting through as narcissists. However, I also think that many
confident people are mislabeled by those who lack confidence in themselves and
insult those with it.

I forget who said it, but "It isn't arrogance when you back it up but it
doesn't mean you can't be a jackass about it."

------
bgnm2000
In my opinion, you have to be narcissistic to want to start a business. It
takes more than just having confidence and believing in yourself - you have to
have the attitude that you will succeed for XYZ reasons, and you have to
execute on them with the same attitude.

------
alanthonyc
Narcissus died admiring his reflection. He just sat there until he croaked.

That sounds very different from what an entrepreneur does, regardless of how
arrogant he/she may be.

