Ask YComb: Should I quit to do a startup during a recession?

but also, it's not good to have a boolean choice. you can make it less so, on both ends. you might be able to reduce your hours at work, in a potentially temporary manner (they might not like that idea at first, but if they want to keep your hours up, then obviously they don't want to fire you, so you have some ability to negotiate. reduced hours, for them, beats none by a large margin). and you could start on your startup in spare time, to learn more about

A) will it work B) how long will it take to finish C) how much you like working on it.

you can also research competitors, look for cofounder now, and other things, without some permanent "taking the plunge".

That's a good reason, but not the only one.

Maybe you don't appreciate your job because you have a startup inside of you just bustin' to get out. Not even the greatest job or economy could help with that.

~phil

If you are considering this, save your money and begin reducing your costs. If a _major_ downturn happens, you can likely live quite cheaply during those times.

Could the recession work in your favour? Goods will become cheaper, interest rates will be cut, there will be people to hire because unemployment will rise, etc. So if you have money saved up, it could actually go further.

Although VC investment may slow down during recession, developing through the recession will set you up for prime-time when the economy picks up and VC's want your soul...I mean invest.

Moving away from home was one of the best decisions I have ever made - I got to decide when to work, when to play, and when to sleep. And I have never looked back.

I think that you are in the same position. So take the plunge.

I know that parents get awfully nervous about this sort of stuff. But... sometimes they just don't understand. Especially when it comes to technology stuff and the tech biz.

If you have the money, and can give a startup a shot.. go for it. What's the worst case scenario? The worst thing that can happen is that you'll have learned a lot about starting your own business, and you will have learned a lot about new technologies, and your savings will be gone. That's it. That's the worst.

1. Those trying to find a reason to do a startup.

2. Those trying to find a reason to not do a starup.

"the choice has already been made, it must merely be understood" ...(from the Matrix)

If you can find a sustaining revenue source ealy on, by doing something thatXs truly new and useful, I canXt see a reason why not start a startup even during a recession.

Actually, if what you sell really benefits users, specially if your users are other companies, youXll probably find many of them.

Finally, during recessions, thereXs a lot of great talent available on the market.

ItXs good to remember that most of GoogleXs growth as a company happened during the "nuclear winter" of the web after the bubbleXs burts in 2000.

In my time I have done illegal raves, had sex with a porn model, started a bar in Ibiza, done drugs, started a crash-and-burn dot-com, and all sorts of other crazy stuff. But when I talk to my friends now (im in my mid-thirties) they wish they had not held back, and just gone with their ideas.

So get going, you have nothing to lose... If it fails at least you tried, your friends will envy you for having the guts to try, and in 10 years you will have a great story to tell.

Less worry about money will also allow you to work on what you enjoy, without the constant spectre of "How am I going to monetize this?"

the only thing certain is that the doing a startup is totally different from a normal job.

you must be ready for a serious commitment.

In short if you have enough money to last you for year then go for it. You could always freelance for extra money if needed.

There are many businesses that are recession-proof, and many that can still pay you a salary during a downturn, though your current job isn't necessarily in one of those businesses (and your startup might not be in one of those businesses either). Without a lot of experience, it may not be immediately obvious to you what businesses will weather the recession well and which will run into trouble.

Having a job now does not mean you'll have a job in six months if the recession hits hard. Don't imagine that your job is permanent if things go badly for your current employer. There are no guarantees in anything. At least with a startup, assuming you build something people want, you'll have something people want in your possession rather than just a last paycheck.

That said, I'll tell you what I wish I'd known at 23: Have fun. Do exactly what you most want to do. If that is starting a company, traveling the world, starting a band, writing a novel, getting another degree, or some combination of these things, do it. You will never be in a better position to do exactly what you want to do.

Your mother worries about you, and thinks about basic needs first. You live in a time and society in which basic needs are all but automatic: you can work two days a week at a crap job and make a subsistence living as long as you're single and live frugally. You can always get a crap job if you need it later. Since you're college educated and presumably a nerd, you're even better placed...contract work pays enough to get by on a few days a month.

As mixmax pointed out, the old saying that you won't regret the things you did but the things you didn't do is probably as true as any truism ever said. When you're 30 you'll begin to get a sense of this...I suspect that when you're 40 you'll have an absolute certainty of it (I'm not yet to 40, so I don't know for certain...but I passed 30 a few years ago, and it only seems more true each day).

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=88410

HP was founded during the great depression. Sun and Adobe were started during recessions.