Ask HN: Go all in on startup idea, or stay W2
I don't really have the network to vet my idea, to tell me wether it is good or bad, something worth building or not? Something worth diving into or not.
My idea is https://mnexium.com - it is a LLM infrastructure layer. All the things you need to do to get an LLM up an running Mnexium would handle.
The reason I want to jump into this start-up is mainly because I'd use this app, and I build it because I needed something like it. Is that enough signal to continue to build?
I would really love to hear others opinions on what they would do? If they've navigated something similar?
I think the last bit I'd add to the above is I have this nagging feeling that I want to build something, from scratch. Build it to the best of my limited ability - but I don't want to fail.
Appreciate it
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[ 6.8 ms ] story [ 56.7 ms ] threadThe issue is that you are quite late to the party and I don't see a differentiator in your product.
Regardless, I would focus on getting a few paying customers first to validate the idea while still working a job so you can eat.
but there is a real opportunity cost to leaving a w2 and jumping into an idea like this. Plus the fears that you stated as well are things I think about also.
Look attractive, be confident, and talk about reselling AI... boom cash.
The real question is: what do you want to be doing in 5 years? Do you want to be explaining to people why you are cleaning up some pitch deck mess that still doesn't make money or would you rather be slaving away for your current employer with next to no equity?
Look, I am sure your idea absolutely brilliant and fantastic, but weigh this decision on more practical terms. If you already have a family you will need either a war chest of cash (at least $35k ready to spend over the next year but $150k would be better) or the unlimited and unquestioning support of people who really should be doubting your ideas just a bit harder.
After all, some of the most successful startups started with singular boring ideas. If you are amazing at sales and execution then you can afford to go all in on your boring idea.
> 5 years - Cleaning pitch-deck vs slaving away? both sound pretty shitty to me :) I think there are pros/cons. Pitch deck route assume I can sustain myself for 5 years but it does come with an opportunity cost. It is ~1m earned w2 income. W2-slave route feels like a boring way to contribute to society/tech and maybe not reach full potential?
Appreciate the post - I do agree with your sentiment.
https://www.computer.org/csdl/magazine/co/2026/05/11503360/2...
I think there are a lot of similarities and parallels to those times happening now, maybe even more with more money and investment depending on it and expanding.
There are a lot of arguments to made on both sides. I guess the one i'd lean on is "Do we not build Amazon, Google and FB b/c dot com happened?" and the companies that I'm trying to build inspired by those guys.
Then the most important thing, from a business perspective, is building that network.
Customers are the best network, again from a business perspective.
Although network building in general is often hard, building a network of customers is usually really, really, really hard. Not only do you have to overcome fear of rejection by asking for money, but also you have to actually get money from someone before they actually are a customer.
And because writing an "Ask HN" is easy, it is probably not on the road to building a general network and certainly not on the road to building a network of customers because you aren't asking for money.
So my advice, start learning how to ask people for money (it is a skill developed through experience (and rejection). Talking to people is what selling is. Good luck.
I am starting to figure out having a network and going into an idea would move things 10x or 100x faster, both from a success or failure route. You'd want to get to both as quickly as possible. I think what posting on HN gets me is some kind of signal toward something that I don't already have. A lot of generic but valuable advice here. Still validating in its own way.
I do agree with you - asking people for time is especially difficult "can you give me some advice" ... and then asking people for money is 100x more difficult. Even if they get something for said money.
The idea of abandoning the 9 to 5 job to strike out on your own can be strong. There are many stories where a solo entrepreneur or small startup team did just that, and are now well off, if not insanely rich.
But the other 90% you never hear about. They work hard to try and get their idea to market, but it never pans out. A myriad of reasons can cause a project to fail, long before it replaces your salary today.
Your personal circumstances along with talent and drive, should play a pivotal role in deciding to make the jump. Unless you have a comfortable amount to savings, I would recommend keeping your day job and working on the side project in your spare time. Don't quit your W2 until you get some real traction on it.
I think doing something like this is very much high risk/high reward. Part of the challenge (albeit a good one) is the salaries are fairly good - so this approaching that is not an overnight thing. From a personal circumstance side of things there is also that opportunity cost.
"Don't quit your W2 until you get some real traction on it." I think this is probably the best path.
Then do not do it. Without a network to vet the idea, you don't have the network to get your initial sales either. You are coding blind, hoping you land in a place the market actually would pay for.
Not wrong there.
I think for me and the idea I saw a fundamental shift in the experience chatGPT provided once it was able to remember cross/post chat things. The APIs do not have this offering and are pretty bare, so being able to put this on top of any LLM API I think is a value add.
I am curious how you are using Claude in your case? Web-ui? Co-Work? Does not seem like API, but would help me.
I went the part-time route. What I learned:
1. Constraints breed creativity. Having only 10-15 hours/week forces you to ruthlessly prioritize what actually moves the needle vs. what feels productive.
2. Revenue validation before quitting is underrated. If you can get even $500/mo while working full-time, you've proven something real. Most people who quit to "go all in" spend months building before discovering nobody wants what they're making.
3. The emotional rollercoaster is easier to handle when your rent isn't tied to your MRR. Bad months don't become existential crises.
The one caveat: if your startup requires intense sales cycles, enterprise deals, or you're in a winner-take-all market with funded competitors, then speed matters more than sustainability. But for most B2B SaaS or tools businesses, the tortoise approach works fine.
I'd love to hear/learn more about your journey. From a 0-1 build mindset but also going from 1 or 0.75-to-first customer and beyond.
I think we see a lot Zucks and AirBnB guys, and with AI 100M ARR in 2 months type stories, but not so much tortoise approach stories.
Are you making peanuts in a remote location, and you'd be happier making slightly more if you were in charge of your destiny?
If you spend five years on your project to get acquihired by some mid level public company- is that success or would you be devestated?
Do you have the chops to build a business, raise money, find customers, recruit employees? Yes, do you think you'd enjoy it?
Zooming out a bit. How do you feel about the possibility of quitting your job, spending 1-2 years working on this, failing, and looking for another job? You'd lose income but also have a very interesting life experience. I'm doing something similar and I legitimately don't mind failing because I'm glad I get to have the experience regardless of whether the startup works or not.