

Paul Graham says VCs Not Bold Enough. I Say None of Us Are - pchristensen
http://whydoeseverythingsuck.com/2008/04/paul-graham-says-vcs-not-bold-enough-i.html

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henning
Yes, people are naturally risk-averse.

But if you're a VC, you have thrust yourself into the spotlight as someone
with an appetite for calculated risk and a willingness to live outside your
comfort zone. You are saying that you are someone special.

~~~
dgabriel
And this is why I think Paul's essay was interesting and eye-opening, while
this essay is a statement of the blindingly, no-duh obvious. (no offense - you
seem like a smart, nice guy, hank :)

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edw519
Speak for yourself, Hank.

Some of us may be too damn bold for our own good.

Starting a software business really isn't logical, except maybe for someone
young with nothing to lose and nothing better to do.

In my case, if I took all the hours I put into my own products and multiplied
that by what I could have billed someone else (or even earned as an employee),
well let's just say, "I don't want to know." The opportunity cost is
staggering (not to mention time away from family and friends). Many of us
could easily have put 7 figure sweat equity into our startups. Money that was
never earned and may still never be seen.

Forget about angels and VCs - if what we entrepreneurs are already doing isn't
bold, I don't know what is.

~~~
hank777
Life is about more than just business. And being bold isn't, at least in my
context, about working harder. In fact it sounds like, for you, work is a
default. I am talking about exploring things in life that you might not
otherwise explore. Doing things you might otherwise dismiss. They do not need
to be big things. Its not about who can have a heart attack sooner.

~~~
edw519
"work is a default"

Gee, I never thought about it that way. I hope that's not true.

OTOH, I _have_ to do what I'm doing. I _have_ to.

This is the hardest thing to get other people to understand. One of the
reasons I turn down a lot of consulting to work on my startup is because I'm
sick and tired of doing things wrong and helping people get things done with
crappy software and tools. For years I've said, "That sucks, I can do way
better." So now I'm putting my money where my mouth is.

Make no mistake about it. I _love_ what I do. I can't imagine not doing it. If
you call that "working harder" or "default", fine. But please don't say none
of us is bold. Some of us have the scars to show otherwise.

~~~
hank777
"But please don't say none of us is bold."

I think you take things a bit too literally. This piece is about humanity in
general, not "edw519"

~~~
brlewis
One thing I've learned from watching people react to various essays, is that
if they can read it as being about them, they will. You would be well advised
to say "few" instead of "none" if you don't want to raise the ire of the few.

~~~
edw519
"if they can read it as being about them, they will"

That means you've reached them. Good job.

