
Ask HN: How startups changed you as a person? - 8sigma
I am sure startups brings  lifestyle changes and even change in our thought process.What are the changes that you have witnessed in yourself after you became involved with startups?
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dfraser992
After exposure to the C* level, and being on the board of a quasi-non-profit
that was trying to transform to a proper non-profit.... I realize the power
games at that level are far more "important" \- the technical work of course
is the foundation, but if you have people with anti-social personality
disorders at the helm, all the super improve-the-world tech matters little.

I perhaps am just unlucky, I am not trying to tar and feather all business
majors and 'Management". But I have learned not to trust anyone at all when
money and power is involved. My psychopath-dar has been greatly improved.
Organizations with incompetent or worse management never amount to anything
and they are a headache to work for.

When I was just a regular "joe" starting in the first Internet bubble, I went
with a company where the management all had a track record at well known
companies, and the ones I met seemed like decent people. It was a good
company, but the bubble burst too fast before we could get any real traction.
The other company I turned down imploded due to some drama and "too young"
management.

------
nness
Maybe its with experience, and working in a more traditional role for so long
afterwards, but I feel like the biggest change was awareness of how long
things take to do.

I still see people dive head first into problems and I just think "man,
insurance is going to be immense," or "do you know how long that's going to
take!" I can't work out if naivety is actually a benefit, or if these people
see value or a future I don't.

So really, I see time as far more limited and more valuable as it ever was,
and it stops me from picking up new things (for good or for bad).

