Ask HN: I quit my job today, and am on the ground running. Tips?
Me: Perfect SAT, kicked out of college for not attending class. 23 years old, $1200 in the bank, paying $157 a month for rent, but it'll go up to $300 or so in a few months. Bay Area native, but I'm currently in Provo, UT. I live with five roommates, of whom I'm close w/three.
Questions: Should I move back to the Bay w/my parents? It would mean: free food and rent, possibly easier access to funding, and better weather, but it would also mean: being subject to odd jobs from the parents, not being around a university environment (I've set up my "office" in the bottom floor of the library here), a worse work environment, etc.
Also, any other tips would be HUGELY appreciated. I've been wanting to do this for a while, have a business plan, have some plans to look for funding, etc...but I'm still scared to death.
15 comments
[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 49.2 ms ] threadI just moved out to the bay area a few weeks ago and I am really glad I did. If you do move out here, shoot me an email, or go to a "Hackers and Founders" meetup.
Why not find a better job, or one working a startup? Why not go back to college? Why not start your own business on the side while you work? You say "I've been wanting to do this for awhile" but it sounds to me like you got fed up with people telling you what to do and gave up, instead of fighting for something better.
A business plan is worth nothing. A drop-out with no execution skills, no prototype and no team is not going to get funding.
You put yourself out there with this post and exposed your fear and that's commendable. I would say: step 1 of 100,000 in the right direction.
1.) Get over how smart you are.
I'm sure people told you how much potential you had as a kid, but that's over now. In the adult world, potential doesn't count for shit. The guy who got a 950 is kicking your ass right now because he got up and did something. (Just FYI, I had to do this too, it's humbling but necessary)
2) Go get a job NOW to pay the bills
Living with your parents is for kids. At least your expenses are low so there's no reason you can't make enough money to support yourself AND build your business (assuming that's what you want to do). Go hussle up a job that can pay your bills. Mow lawns, wait tables, build websites, WHATEVER. By staying on your own you're increasing your odds for success and, you know, being a grown-up.
3) Build something SOON
Bootstrap a very small niche business that can bring in $100 a month. And do it in the next month. There are a zillion resources out there to hold your hand through doing that. If this is unpleasant for you or if you can't make that happen, DON'T start your own full-fledged startup or waste time looking for funding because that is a million times harder.
4) If you're interested in the startup scene but aren't ready to start your own, get a job with a startup. With your history it might be that all you can get is an equity-only position. So you work there and work on the side to support yourself.
5) Hussle. Rinse. Repeat.
I absolutely mentioned the SAT to prove I was smart, because, frankly, it's all I've got to prove it. Just saying I was kicked out of school says a lot, but it doesn't tell the entire story. It was to prove I'm smart enough to do something, not so smart that I don't have to do anything.
I've worked at several startups in the past and loved all of them. But in each case I was only looking for summer work at the time, so it didn't go anywhere.
And as for the "build something NOW" advice, I hear you.
Thanks for the kick in the pants. The Internet is nice in that people feel entirely free to tell you the truth.
For startup jobs checkout the VC firms sites. They have a shitload of jobs posted and you can sort by city.
Next, don't be a chump and mooch of your folks. That's just lame. Given how low your rent is (even $300 is pretty damned cheap in Utah), don't give it up. That $1200 will evaporate in no time.
Finally, good luck. I went independent a few years back and love every minute of it.
Since you don't have much cash in reserve, you are going to need some more money and fast. Now if you have a business plan, then you should have a feel for how long before you are Ramen profitable. My guess is that it is going to be a heck of a lot longer than 6 months by which time you will be behind in your rent.
Oh and if you got kicked out of college, how come you feel entitled to using the university facilities? Seems like bad karma to me.
There are a number of reasons people circumvent university: Opportunity strikes before graduation, job offers, great ideas that need to get to market first. Whatever motivated you to drop out isn't really as important as what you do next. Meaning this: DON'T WASTE TIME.
If you're serious about being an entrepreneur or hacker, you need to start shipping stuff NOW. By the time your peers graduate in a year or two or three, they will have several summer internships behind them, interesting senior projects and perhaps a few things they built on the side. You need to make sure that you're building not only a portfolio but a strong base of learning in different environments.
You have a couple of logistical problems that many students, don't however:
• Cash flow... Many students have loans or financial aid. You're going to have to figure out how to generate revenue while still building and shipping.
• No systemic support... Many students have access to things like internship placement, job placement, job fairs, etc.. You're going to have to generate your own infrastructure. A few ways you can do this: Network, go to meetups, attend hackathons, etc.
Some things you can do to stay abreast or even move ahead of your peers:
• Get a job (duh) -- harder than it sounds
• Get an internship
• Volunteer for a cool project
• Get involved with an opensource project and start getting commits in
Depending on what you want or think you want to do with your life, location is going to be important. Provo is nice enough but it's not exactly a hub of innovation. I would shy away from living with your parents -- it's only going to make you frustrated and slow you down -- but you have to make that CBA yourself.
Anyway, I wish you luck. You're taking what is likely a harder road, but can be just as or more rewarding than a conventional one.
In fact, I'm going to take my own advice.
Good luck.
you will get free food and you wont have to pay your rent.
Decide firmly, you wont drink and smoke (if you do) until you find a job.
Simple as that.