

Ask HN: What drives you to start a company? - tomerico

Why should we start our own companies instead of working for a great company like Google, Facebook, Dropbox, etc?<p>Is it to change the world? In these companies you get the best resources to do that. You are much more likely to make a much larger impact on the world through a company like Google.<p>Is it to be in control? But in good companies, such as mentioned above, you get a lot of freedom. In some senses, more than you have at a startup - because of the constraints imposed to you by having resources constraints.<p>Is it for Fame or Fortune? I could get that, but I can't believe that is what motivates the majority of the people on this site. Fame seems to me more of a pain in the ass than a good thing, and money is a motivator, but you won't be poor by working on these companies.<p>Is it because you are not good enough to join these companies? Seems possible, but yet again, the group of people starting up are usually extremely capable, more so those accepted to YCombinator - so that shouldn't really be a problem.<p>I used to dream about starting up, but after thinking about it more logically, things starts to not look so good. What are the things that really drive you to start your own company, and why couldn't these goals be achieved in other, simpler methods
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n00kie
My personality :)

I just left/sold my own company that I started over 3 years ago. Then people
asked why? I said "opportunity cost". I just couldn't explain it in any other
way.

Wasn't happy with my response so I got obsessed in psychology for a couple of
days this month. So why?

"Someone with extraverted intuition as their leading function is very
dependent on his/her feelings of interest and disinterest. Interest and
boredom seem to be the driving forces in such a person's life — more so than
for any other types. Other types also find things 'interesting' and 'boring,'
however, they are able to derive satisfaction and enjoyment from things that
aren't necessarily interesting and novel, as opposed to extraverted intuition
types."

"What makes something interesting? A new situation, a new set of people, a new
way of looking at old things, or novel or unusual information. There has to be
some special quality in the information, situation, or people that creates an
open-ended, high-potential situation that engages and energizes the mind.
Extraverted intuition types would rather choose an unknown situation that
might have high potential than a known situation that is known to have low or
medium potential."

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sandroyong
In truth and in large part because people in the field that I am interested in
are not addressing the real problem, ie, they are all 'barking up the wrong
tree'. When you have an answer/solution and when others still don't 'get it',
there comes a time that you have to step in. I don't want to sit by the
sidelines anymore, so I'm rolling up my sleeves to do it myself.

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njstartups
For me it's the learning aspect of a startup. I had a great job for a really
fantastic company but I quickly realized that there's a "ceiling" to the
amount of learning you can do in one role/position. To continue
learning/growing, you'd have to get a new role/position. Lot of time and
bureaucracy goes into that role change. My previous employer was mid-sized and
there was a lot of flexibility. They encouraged and empowered employees to get
exposure to various parts of the company. But for me, learning is not
structural and it shouldn't be contained by the role.

I LOVE being part of a startup because everything is so hands-on and the
learning has been exponential. In 1 week I've easily learned more than I would
have 1 month on a company job.

That to me is worth it. No matter what happens, I'll walk away with a lot more
knowledge and courage than I had before.

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DistortedRhymes
So you don't have to put up with bureacratic bullshit that goes on in all
companies or government departments. Once you have worked in organisations for
long enough, you learn that often the people in management above you are often
quite incompetent. Their ability to make decisions is hamstrung by the person
above them, and those above them. Control freaks are everywhere, and drag down
the independence of staff. Having your own start-up or working for one means
you are either in control of the decision making, or very close to those that
are, and you aren't stuck in committees and meetings to make even the smallest
decisions. Freedom from these work practices is enough motivation for anyone.
I make pretty good money now, I would like to make more through my start-up,
but if my start-up made me the same I would be 5 times happier than in my
current work environment.

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asto
I'm a commerce graduate from India. When I graduated I realised the only jobs
available to me are ones outsourced from developed nations - uninteresting
back office jobs. Since I was pretty good with computers - I use linux, can
bash script, build websites using html/css and php frameworks, code in python,
currently learning C - I decided to get into web development freelancing.
Since everybody in India is out to get websites for themselves or their
businesses, the potential is good enough to start my own company sometime
soon.

To give you a general answer to your question, there's only one reason why
people start businesses - circumstance. The circumstance may vary. Maybe you
have a great business plan that can make you insanely rich. Maybe nothing else
interests you. Maybe a friend asked you to co-found a company.

~~~
vga15
_only one reason why people start businesses - circumstance_

Not necessarily true. Better proactive than reactive.

I've a feeling that those who take deliberate measures to ensure opportunities
bloom, would be a few steps ahead. Maybe you're looking to leave a dent in the
universe. Maybe you _want_ a few more dollars for that shiny new ferrari.
Maybe you _want_ to expand your interests.

Congrats on the move to freelancing. Can be quite lucrative. How are you
planning on obliterating the competition? I'd assume its fierce over there.

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Macshot
For me it the ability to work on what I'm passionate about on my own terms. As
I have worked for some big name companies and organization that effected world
change, yet it was still never things I was passionate about or on my terms.
Plus as I have for the last year and half been working on my own startup I
have come to realize just how rewarding the process is. I mean the struggles
and sacrifices and risks you go through to see your own idea and passion come
to life is like none other. To be your own boss and see a dream realized in
the process. What's better then that?

~~~
alperakgun
just watched social network movie the first time fully; apparently some people
are motivated by a failed attempt to date a dream girl. I totally agree, the
passion of what you want to work on, that is what I feel too.

~~~
ceejayoz
You do realize much of that movie was fictional, right?

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md1515
What drives me? Fear.

I fear I am unable to work for others with extremely limited freedoms.

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albahk
For the money. It keeps me focused and since money is what I use to buy food
for my family, pay rent, my children's education etc I am morally comfortable
with money as my goal in starting a company.

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geoffw8
Product excites me. Its the feeling I get when I notice a problem, the visual
appears in my head, I start thinking code.

Its an addiction for me. Been like it for 5 years.

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away
Boredom drives me. At most jobs I've had, I feel bored. Sometimes I also feel
stressed, but I rarely feel interested. The other thing that drives me is
ambition.

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tarekayna
A big motivator is trying to solve a problem you are facing that has no clear
cut available solution

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wavephorm
The realization that being employed by someone else was holding me back
intellectually and financially.

