

Ask HN: Should I be more entrepreneurial? - larve

3 years ago, I started a one-man company building electronic hardware for artists. I did everything myself: electronics, software, manufacturing, accounting, marketing, music. The only thing lacking was any business sense whatsoever: I quickly burnt out after 2 years, realizing that I just worked 90 hour weeks making 10$ an hour.<p>Rethinking my priorities, I figured out that I actually had already reached my “4 goals in life” (to use new-agey self-help blog-terms): make art, make technology, having friends and family, enjoying life. I also realized what I don’t know how to do: managing people, understanding people, being business-savvy enough to make money. I have done the crazy stuff I wanted to do, and at age 29 feel like I’m actually retiring, doing stuff that is just like watering my plants.<p>Since me slowly shutting my electronics venture down, I’ve been quite happily freelancing halftime without trying very hard (doing electronics and software), making about 60k-80k EUR per year (living in a very low-income part of east germany, which makes me pretty much cresus), and pursuing my other projects on the side. I don’t miss the excitement of having a company, and am usually happy doing one-man projects.<p>I know I’m completely underselling myself as a freelancer (I work for 50$/h at the moment, although I had gigs for 100 EUR / hour this year as well), which I understand as me not actually caring. However, I think I miss the possibility of being able to pay a smart developer to develop a compiler backend for me, of having a design agency design some custom cases, of having a company in china produce a few thousand devices. Business-like endeavors that are more driven by a love for art and technology than market, which I learnt is a recipe bound for failure.<p>I know that I’m quite sharp and pick up things easily. I also have a laser-like intensity, as well as enough self-discipline to reach my goals, even if they take a few years of hard work. That is, as long as I don’t get bored, which is as soon as I feel that I’m not learning anything anymore. Would you recommend me to:<p>* Chill out, relax, and enjoy what I have<p>* Look for someone to manage me, keeping 80% off my 20% but allowing me to have a bit of a bigger scope<p>* Manning up, study business, finance and marketing, play the game and make some serious $$$ for a few years<p>* Slowly ramp up my revenue, getting more consulting gigs rather than codemonkey gigs, getting a suit and upselling myself<p>* Slowly building up a few “moneyprinting” endeavours (a few iphone apps, a few webapps), either slowly building up a revenue stream or actually turning into something that someone would like to take over or nurture to $$$.
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alphadown
Are these the only options? Is it just about money and business?

Do you have a family? Maybe you should start one. Or is there a neighborhood
kid that could use some mentoring? Teach a seminar, or write a book. These
things may not make you rich, but it may make you happy.

All I am saying is make sure you're asking yourself the right question,
because of you're not, the answers you get aren't going to help you.

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gonepostal
I think that entrepreneurship shouldn't necessarily be an end, but rather a
means to an end. For some it is th end goal but I'd wage that this isn't the
norm ( outside hn of course ).

Figure out where you want to be in the long term and find the best way to get
there for _you_. Entrepreneurship might just not be th best way to get there.
And I think that's alright as long as you get where you wants be.

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amouat
Nobody but yourself can answer this.

There's no point in starting a big new venture if your heart isn't in it.

Having said that:

\- Don't look for someone to manage you, rather look for a business savvy
partner

\- You earn 60-80k and don't own a suit?! That's quite impressive ;)

Personally, I like the sound of the last option and am hoping to do something
similar. But that's _me_.

~~~
larve
Obviously, I'll have the last call :) All the 5 options are things I am
considering, and I was wondering if someone had been through the same thing.

Cons for each approach:

a) a lot of my ideas won't see the light of day although they could. b) i
don't know jack about people, so I'll probably end up with the wrong kind of
person c) i'm gonna get bored, or it will clash with my ethics d) getting a
suit e) i am gonna get bored, and would need someone to handle the bottomline,
back to b)

~~~
amouat
Fair enough, it's difficult. I'm sensing a lot of hatred for suits here though
:)

I'm not sure what to say about choosing who to work with. It's difficult, but
frankly you have to trust people now and again or you'll have a rubbish life.
I suggest you try working with someone on a small project and see how it goes.

