What has been helpful for me is the group of friends I usually hang out with. They are all highly intelligent achievers and as a result, there is always this peer pressure on me to do better. We are close like brothers and are supportive of each other though. That turns the pressure into a positive nurturing force.
This is one thing that I've struggled with during the pandemic - I realized how much I relied on friends/classmates/colleagues to motivate and challenge me. It's just not the same over Zoom unfortunately.
>> We estimate the basic reproduction number of the infection (R_0) to be 3.8 (95% confidence interval, 3.6-4.0), indicating that 72-75% of transmissions must be prevented by control measures for infections to stop increasing.
>> We estimate that only 5.1% (95%CI, 4.8-5.5) of infections in Wuhan are identified, and by 21 January a total of 11,341 people (prediction interval, 9,217-14,245) had been infected in Wuhan since the start of the year.
>> Should the epidemic continue unabated in Wuhan, we predict the epidemic in Wuhan will be substantially larger by 4 February (191,529 infections; prediction interval, 132,751-273,649),
Playing an hour or so of WOW helps me sleep better. This way, I remain in a relaxed/bored gaming mode when I hit the pillow. Otherwise, I would start thinking about work instead and become wild awake.
One piece of evidence doesn't necessarily contradict the other.
I definitely need about an hour of cool-down after work each day, but I've also noticed that I don't sleep as well as I'd like when I'm watching TV or gaming before bed versus reading or doing other things.
Better yet, read only posts that are useful to you. Often thought leaders, IE Mark Suster, would release some tips on TC and reading them can help you become more successful. New companies may also have services that can give you an advantage.
When I started my current company a few years ago, there were a few competitors in the space. Currently, the space is mostly dominated by us and another new entrant and we have expanded the market beyond what it encompassed before.
There are many reasons behind this outcome. The other new entrant and us definitely have better products. However, in addition, some incumbents just didn't innovate as fast while others just lost focus. There are also companies that ran out of money.
Both Dropbox and Hipmunk demonstrated how it is possible to enter a competitive space and win.
I started my current company as the sole founder in 2007 and it has been good so far. Compared to previous ventures where I was a co-founder, more of my energy is spent on building the business as opposed to too much discussions.
However, this time around, I need to pay special attention to asking for feedback and be exceptionally open to it. Often times, feedback contradicts each other and I'm glad I can make the final decision by arguing just with myself. So much more efficient.
The journey is very lonely though and it takes a lot more work. Fighting alone is not easy.
I think the last part is what really scares investors / incubators / etc. when it comes to single cofounders... "Fighting alone is not easy" but if you have the experience, vision, etc. it's still possible to pull off. At least that's what I tell myself.
It sounds like you moved from a tech co-founder to a biz / tech founder. Is this a fair summary? Would be curious to hear more!
I doubled majored in ComSci and Economics so I'm a little bit of both. Tech is definitely the half that I enjoy more.
There are a lot of good resources about the biz side of things for consumer internet startups, so learning about that has not been too difficult.
However, I do try to hire more out-going people to complement me. IE, I push my team to connect with people at meetups more than I push myself :P
There are talented people out there and I've found it is possible to recruit those who complement me without making everyone co-founders.
Once the startup has gotten some traction, recruiting and everything else get easier. If you have a tech background yourself, you may not need co-founders to get to that stage.
I always thought it was easier for tech-focused founders because of this. I feel like learning the business side is easier than the tech side, but I imagine this is a function of the type of person I am.
