
How Not to Die (2007) - bluejellybean
http://paulgraham.com/die.html
======
Htsthbjig
Very true what Paul says here.

I have created two companies on my own(backed companied from others). The
first one was Hell, nobody believed in us or the idea, everyone believed I was
crazy, and after fighting and loosing battles a lot I also(my subconscious
mind) started believing it!!(I had trained it in failure)

But then it turns out it was a brilliant idea after all. We were the first
surprised to see that in the end it worked even better that what we devised at
the start. Everybody loved our product and people that had down played us in
the past were telling us how much they "always knew" our idea was going to
succeed.

The second time everything was objectively very similar to the first company,
but it felt completely different. The experience of success gives you
confidence and makes things very easy and even fun.

------
optimusclimb
> "If you can just avoid dying, you get rich."

Where "you" == "the founders."

Certainly hard as an employee to hang in there for all the ups and downs and
near death experiences after years when "avoiding dying" might look like
watching the investors get their pref back and the founders getting a nice new
post somewhere else.

~~~
cynicalkane
Yup. If you have funding and employees, "not dying" is an irresponsible
attitude to have. If you can't pay people what they deserve, I think you
should accept death--and given that good developers have more self-respect
than they used to, you might have to accept death anyway.

~~~
moistgorilla
> If you can't pay people what they deserve, I think you should accept death

Sorry but if they "deserve" more money they should find a job where they would
be payed that. As an employee it's your own responsibility not to get screwed
by your employer. If they decide not to pay you, leave.

The same goes for the employer. It's their responsibility to not "accept
death". Accepting death is the mindset that will almost always lead to
failure.

~~~
cynicalkane
Life is not an idealized free market where developer hours are a resource to
exploit in the short run.

This is true both ethically and professionally. If you screw people, word gets
around, and you just alienated all the talent you built a relationship with.
It also makes you a bad person.

If you ask loyal employees to stay on for the sake of their equity or the sake
of making something great, that's fine, but if you're funded and not
delusional about your chances it's unlikely you will be in a position to do
this in a fair way.

------
joslin01
I pretty much wake up every morning and watch motivational videos on YouTube
to keep me going.

I'm onto my fourth start-up, third as CTO, and let me tell you start-ups are
no walk in the park. The idea that there's even walking involved is so far off
what it's really like. It's non-stop sprinting and if it's not, then you're
not doing it right and moving too slow. I like the idea of a work/life
balance, but when you have to build every little part of a business, it's just
not reasonable to get obstinate about it. When and if I make it, I'll be
thanking my perseverance.

~~~
branchless
Why does it have to be done at break-neck speed? If it's such a great idea and
it happens in 3 years instead of 2 is this a problem? Genuinely curious. I
don't understand this start-up culture of long hours.

~~~
misterbwong
Because it's not about the idea-the idea can (and probably is) shared by
multiple companies. Ideas are easy. If you don't execute well AND fast, others
will and they will win. This is especially important in startups that require
network effects to survive (think social, uber, etc). If you don't build the
lead first, others will, and their lead will grow by virtue of being in the
lead (and not screwing up).

~~~
branchless
I think a lot of these first to market social things just aren't going to get
far. For me Uber is just a messy regulation dodge. Twitter makes no money.
They just seem to be trying to establish a monopoly whilst making a loss and
then using the (perceived) lock-in to try and monetize before dying in flames.

Where is this tight loop of venture capital funding first to market on
services that are easily replicable taking society? My guess is nowhere.

------
jebblue
In addition to not doing other things, I'd like to suggest adding the idea
that one also does not have to burn out or be burned out doing a startup.

~~~
paul
Indeed. In fact, I think burnout is often one of the causes of failure, either
directly, or indirectly through the bad decision making it causes. Building a
successful company takes many years. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

~~~
ak39
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening A poem by Robert Frost

    
    
      Whose woods these are I think I know.
      His house is in the village though;
      He will not see me stopping here  
      To watch his woods fill up with snow.
    
      My little horse must think it queer
      To stop without a farmhouse near
      Between the woods and frozen lake
      The darkest evening of the year.
    
      He gives his harness bells a shake
      To ask if there is some mistake.
      The only other sound’s the sweep
      Of easy wind and downy flake.
    
      The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
      But I have promises to keep,
      And miles to go before I sleep,
      And miles to go before I sleep.
    
      -------------- End ----------
    

Oh how I love Robert Frost! This deeply existential and powerfully personal
poem is exactly what NOT to do when you are in the throes of startup life.

Sleep! I say sleep. Get that rest and damn that horse. :-)

Edit: I took me 4 years to learn HN carriage returns! :-(

~~~
dang
I recommend the poems of Edward Thomas, who was a close friend of Frost's
until he died in WWI. Their poems were similar in style.

------
maaku
With the title I was expecting Paul Graham to have written an article on
Cryonics and the need for donations to SENS :\

------
michaelochurch
I'd love to hear Giles Bowkett do another dramatic reading, for this essay.
The first one was an instant classic:
[http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com/2015/06/let-other-95-of-
rea...](http://gilesbowkett.blogspot.com/2015/06/let-other-95-of-reality-
in.html)

