
Is the term "lifestyle business" an insult? - wslh
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/is-the-term-lifestyle-business-an-insult/
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cschmidt
I've had "lifestyle business" used as an insult to what I'm building,
Predictobot.com. It was from a guy who takes lots of VC money, builds big
startups with a direct sales force, and then eventually sells them to Oracle.
(At least he sold his last one to them.) It didn't bother me in the least, as
that's not what I aspire to.

~~~
jaysonelliot
Excellent sign-up page, it describes exactly what it is in a succinct
sentence, and puts the (very good) pricing right in front of the visitor. It
enticed me to sign up right away.

When you reach launch, I'd suggest putting some examples on the site so
potential customers can see your capabilities in some depth.

Absolutely love the robot logo. I'd wear that t-shirt.

~~~
cschmidt
Thanks for the feedback. I'm giving the first demo of Predictobot on July 28th
at PyData Boston, so the "live" site should be up around then. It has nice
demos.

Glad you like the logo. It is by the most excellent Ty Wilkins
([http://www.tywilkins.com/](http://www.tywilkins.com/)).

Send me your mailing address and shirt size via email, and I'll send you a
t-shirt, with my cool robot logo. My email in is profile.

(That applies to any of you other HN'ers out there that want a t-shirt.)

------
weland
I sometimes wonder if this isn't an insult uttered in a moment of jealousy.
Like when the unachieving youngsters reasure themselves that their more
successful counterparts may have better school grades or better chances of
employment, but surely they have no life.

I currently work for something that may be called a "lifestyle business". I
also did a lot of independent work. Got burned in a "serious business" twice,
and it will be a long time before I touch one again.

The money isn't all that great, but it's not bad, either. I can literally
afford pretty much anything I want, and my lifestyle isn't frugal. I can try a
new, interesting wine at every dinner, if I feel fancy I can eat at a fancy
restaurant and I travel a lot; not business class, but I don't really feel I
need it, either, and the people I meet in a train are worth far more than a
premium lunch. I have time for all my hobbies, I can go for a walk with my
girlfriend any time I want, and I have a secure, healthy lifestyle. I have
less money than a corporate employee, but I am a lot richer.

Quite frankly, I also found the working conditions to be a lot better. My
first job in a large company was an utter failure due to the culture clash;
I'd literally have nothing to do for weeks at a time while the corporate
drones were stroking each other in the beginning of a project, and while many
of my colleagues were at least competent programmers, most of them were
utterly horrified of the idea of learning anything new (and this was actually
a large, successful company, not some dotcom-boom crap). I had regular clashes
with my superiors because I'd finish my tasks well before half the day was
over, there was nothing else for me to do, but I couldn't go home, either (you
can't log hours if you aren't there, can you?). The long decision chain,
questionable technical competence in the upper layers and slow reaction, even
when I only had just 2 or 3 hours of coding a day, I'd smoke through almost
every task they had. Work would occasionally overcrowd before a deadline
(though for some reason that only happened in the teams of _some_ of the
managers -- always the same ones), but other than that, the challenge level
was so low I was eager to get the hell out of there just so that I can do my
job.

~~~
skarmklart
Shameless plug: I am working on a book on how to find and test ideas for
lifestyle businesses. Target demographic: HN coders who want to quit their
jobs and become patio11* :)

[http://howtofindsaasideas.com/](http://howtofindsaasideas.com/)

(Yes, I know the landing page sucks. New one will be rolled out shortly. If
you run into any problems email me directly: info@howtofindsaasideas.com)

Would love any ideas and comments!

* I'm happy to let you know this SaaS demi-god has agreed to be interviewed in the book. Should be interesting.

~~~
alex_c
FYI: the link in referral emails is broken
([http://wwww.howtofindsaasideas.com/](http://wwww.howtofindsaasideas.com/))

~~~
skarmklart
Trying to fix it but I think it may be a Launchrock issue.

------
asanwal
I'm the founder of a firm that has had investors reach out from time-to-time
and some do ask "Are you trying to build a big business or a lifestyle
business?" In this context, "lifestyle biz" is absolutely a pejorative term.

The implications/sub-text of that question is:

1\. If you don't plan to take money, you're probably not thinking big, are not
ambitious, etc

2\. You'll need capital and expertise (probably ours) to build a big business

What I've found is that the better investors tend to ask a different question
"At what point, if any, would you think of raising capital?" This question
gives the investor the same info without the insulting sub-text.

Related notes: \- Most tech M&A exits are less than <$100M. If you're playing
the odds, a "lifestyle" business may be the way to go.
[http://www.cbinsights.com/blog/acquisitions/tech-mergers-
acq...](http://www.cbinsights.com/blog/acquisitions/tech-mergers-acquisitions-
deals-2012-report)

\- Building a real business (revenue > costs) and growing it gives you more
leverage with investors down the road should you want to go down that path.
That's our plan. [http://www.cbinsights.com/team-
blog/investors/](http://www.cbinsights.com/team-blog/investors/)

------
peterkelly
Put simply: No, it's not.

If your primary goal in life is to accumulate as much money as possible, then
you should try and get VC funding, and aim for the biggest exit possible in
the shortest amount of time.

If your primary goal in life is to enjoy yourself and/or gain satisfaction
from your work, you should try and optimise for happiness. This doesn't
require millions of dollars; it simply requires a work arrangement that you
are happy with and provides you with a sufficient income to fulfill your
personal desires.

Different people have different goals in life, and there's nothing wrong with
that.

~~~
j45
There are lots of bootstrapped companies that make as much as funded companies
do.

------
brazzy
It certainly is to those who've drunk the pg kool-aid, aka "the only valid
definition of a startup is a company that prioritizes growth above all else,
including a viable business plan".

~~~
pvdm
Only kids in their 20's drink. Know thyself. Think different.

------
j45
It's often a veiled insult trickling down from the people who have some
"lifestyle" themselves, which usually is delivered by people who like the
startup speak and are busy not creating any real value for customers.

A truth maybe some don't want others to know is this: Your ability to create,
pursue and have a deeper life benefits greatly from a modest financial engine.

I believe in working incredibly hard all the time. My ability to do so and
pursue other ideas has been helped greatly by having a financial engine.
Learning this balance every day has been invaluable to me.

There is a fair point in learning to focus on a few things. HN doesn't lack
technical skills. It lacks business acumen and experience. Like coding, you
learn to walk before you run, or pretend you're a star athlete from day one in
business?

Every large business started small. There is no harm, or problem in learning
to build a business into a success be it smaller or larger. Just pay attention
to whether you stop after success, and if it's what you want. The same
business building skills are needed when growing the big idea.

Most people who give up their 20's for something, will end up with just that,
giving up their 20's and not much else. Not my opinion, but a stat that seems
apparent. Think ahead, and there's a chance to get ahead.

Entrepreneurship is about about finding your path to customers. Everyone here
is smart enough to put software or technology to work for them with just a
little bit of their talent, focused.

If you build yourself a financial engine that can set you up and serve you,
you'll be building the habits to do what you want well into your 30's and 40's
when everyone else has to pack up and call it a day to pay the bills that
never go away.

~~~
skarmklart
Checked your profile page and you seem to be doing some fascinating things
with your company. Mind telling us more? :)

(Emailed you btw).

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damoncali
I don't know where the term came from, but I suspect it came from investors
trying to come up with a euphemism for "not investable". If your'e a VC, a
lifestyle business actually is a bad thing - it just doesn't work for them.

Where the train goes off the tracks is when entrepreneurs start using the term
in a way that roughly translates to "script kiddie". That is just immature.

~~~
skarmklart
I'm thinking there might be a market for micro-investing in lifestyle
businesses. Like Kiva for micropreneurs.

~~~
dasmoth
Now that's a great idea. Is it possible to route around enough of the SEC-or-
local-equivalent regulations to make it viable?

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dragonwriter
Its not inherently one, but it seems to be used that way by some people
heavily invested (mentally or financially) in the VC-funded startup world.

------
Millennium
Not by itself, but there are certainly people who use it in a condescending
manner.

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6d0debc071
"You mean, am I interested in starting something with a decent balance or do I
want to ride a flaming train-wreck with burning money flying off it into the
black abyss?...

Oh, I said that last bit out loud, didn't I?"

