

Why I’m an entrepreneur - johnjlocke
http://blog.limedaring.com/why-im-an-entrepreneur

======
MattGrommes
I never can decide if it's hilarious or sad when 18 year olds proclaim that a
life of children + mortgage + work isn't a life of "magic and love". If you're
having a boring life with kids around, you're doing it wrong. Sure, people
manage it, but don't be like that.

Having a house to do things in and a family to do them with/for has helped
breed more creativity and magic in my life than I ever had before when I lived
by myself with nothing tying me down.

~~~
cschmidt
You do realize she is an adult now. She was just writing about how she felt at
18. Don't be a jerk about other peoples ambitions.

------
goldvine
This should be way more common: "What I want is personal freedom to do what I
want to do.

I live on on a $20,000/year salary because I can choose when and where I work.
I can take the morning off and work late. I can work in the morning and take
the evening off. I can travel for months at a time while working on my
startup—like I did on a three month trip through Europe a few years ago, and
planning to again this fall."

~~~
limedaring
Author here. Some updates: I raised my salary to $25k, and just finished that
trip I mentioned — three months living/working in Belgium, Germany, and
Prague. Happy to answer any questions about working abroad or anything else!

~~~
kirk21
How did you like the Belgian beers? Living in Ghent (but in Berlin atm).

~~~
limedaring
Love Belgian beer, love German beer, love American micro-brews, pretty much
love every beer. It's rather ridiculous.

------
carsongross
I have 3 children + mortgage + I plan to work the rest of my life until I die
(I find meaning in my work as well as my kids.)

I'm an entrepreneur so I can look anyone who is being an asshole in the face,
and tell them to go fuck themselves.

~~~
limedaring
Isn't that a bit harsh? I just wrote what I thought at 18 — doesn't mean I
still hold the same views. Just that's what I wanted at the time.

~~~
carsongross
I didn't mean it has harsh at all, I was outlining my views today at 37.

------
onion2k
_" Startup life is hard."_

I imagine that depends on who you are and what motivates you. For me, I found
the opposite. Physically it's absolutely no harder than any other low-paid,
long-hours job. Mentally it's very taxing but only because it's (usually)
hugely creative - it's no harder than working in a salaried role where there's
an expectation that you'll be creative all day. There's an element of
difficulty beyond a normal job that comes from the level of independence - you
_can 't_ slack off because things just won't get done - but that's not very
different to having a difficult boss. Essentially you become your own
difficult boss. And you always have the awesome incentives that both the
short- and long-term rewards are potentially _much_ better (freedom,
interesting work, perhaps a huge payday at the end).

I've done career jobs and I've done startups. Startups were easier for me.

~~~
limedaring
I'd argue that the most mentally taxing part isn't that it's hugely creative,
it's that your decisions can make or break the company. Hiring, firing, what
marketing decisions, what development decisions - that makes it a lot more
taxing than a job where the decisions you make are largely determined by your
superiors (and the results also affecting them more as well.)

------
girvo
This is inspiring to me. I've run one reasonably successful business, and two
the flopped hard. In between that, I've worked various full time and part time
development (and sales, when I want to do something different) jobs.

I've recently found myself at somewhat of a crossroads. I have an idea that I
think is going to be able to make decent money. Not FU money, but more than
enough to live the way I want.

But I've been looking at going back to full time work for someone else... And
I'm unsure on where I should go. I have time, I'm only 23, and I can get away
with mistakes (I live in a country with an excellent safety net, and a pretty
okay family -- they would prefer I get a "real" job though).

Glad to see someone out there is living my ideal life though :) maybe I'll
spend tomorrow crunching some numbers to see how feasible it is.

~~~
limedaring
Some people don't recommend it, but you _can_ work a full-time job and start
working on your idea in your spare hours, saving as much as you can, quitting
when it becomes feasible. I saved $20,000 from my last full time job before
striking out on my own, and it made things a lot easier.

~~~
girvo
I've tried that, and it was too much mentally for myself. I was younger then,
though, so it might be different this time! That's likely the road I'll go
down, or perhaps get off my bum and start consulting again :)

------
swamp40
Complete aside: The slow fade from fluorescent green to black and back on the
"Read This Next" headline at the bottom of the page triggered some kind of
disturbance/disruption between my eyes and my brain.

I thought maybe a blood vessel had burst inside my head and my vision was
about to go.

~~~
limedaring
Huh, thanks for letting me know. Seems to be automatic in Svbtle, I'll try
changing the color I choose and maybe that'll help prevent that effect.

~~~
swamp40
It looks like maybe it's the fade to darkest black when it contrasts with the
bright white background on the screen.

It makes my pupils dilate or something.

Maybe it's just me?

------
wz3chen
Startup life is less appealing when you can make near 6 figures as a software
engineer even just after graduating.

~~~
limedaring
I've been offered (and turned down) 6 figure salaries. Honestly (as mentioned
in the article), the freedom from time-sheets, PTO, HR, rules, and regulations
makes startup life a no-brainer for me.

~~~
misterparker
And given more time, you can easily grow your business to be a 6 figure
income. That is not uncommon.

Good work

------
kimonos
For me, what's important in life is that you are happy in what you are doing,
being contented and grateful for all you currently have and being appreciative
even for life's failures, trials and experiences.. Keep it up and enjoy life
more!

------
codegeek
"I live on on a $20,000/year salary"

"I can travel for months at a time while working on my startup—like I did on a
three month trip through Europe"

Honestly curious how she manages to do this financially ?

