(no subject)
Aug. 17th, 2005 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
progStarting to network. Wrote several people I've long been meaning to write, today, announcing new thing and explicitly asking advice. Am hopeful. More to do.
Revisted Paul Graham's website for the first time since spring. He's written more, and I note that his new Cambridge angel group is planning to burp out some more seed-fund packets this fall, so I'll be keeping an eye on that. Would definitely re-apply; his rejection letter invited it, and we're gained a lot of self-definition as a company since then.
Unfortunately, his more recent writing, and the text on the group's website, makes him sound even even more overtly age-discriminatory than he was in the spring. He's clearly a big fan of startups helmed by 24-year-olds, and specifically says that he's excited to help companies launched by bold college kids. It makes me kind of frustrated, since it didn't occur to me that I could do this until I was 30, after bouncing around full-time employment-land for eight years, thinking it was the only option. (Once again proving that I am socially retarded by about five years. I keep thinking that I've run out of ways for this to manifest itself, and it keeps surprising me.)
I have decided now that I just can't be happy working for someone else. So having an influential person imply "bzzt, too late" is not encouraging. Is *frumple*. (I don't think he means to imply this; I'm still seven years from the dream on, gramps age he sets in his "How to Start a Startup" essay. But whatever.)
Rereading his (actually very encouraging despite all my complaining) essay, I come to a passage were he describes the fact you'll have to work like an animal to push your startup ahead (fine by me), and that when he did his, he had nearly no free time for anything else. This worries me a little, mostly where the TV show is concerned -- it makes me so happy and I don't want to give it up. I don't think I spend that much time on it, in the big picture, and I assume I'll be able to edit faster as I learn more about the process. We'll see, we'll see.
I wish there were beer in the house. All the beer for sale is just far enough away to be inconvenient, now that I'm carless. However, I'll state that this is about the extent of the pain that being carless for months now is causing, so that's pretty good.
Beer is a good mental lubricant for film editing. Better than coffee, I think.
I've just reserved a zipcar to go fetch some beer for me. Go. If only.
Revisted Paul Graham's website for the first time since spring. He's written more, and I note that his new Cambridge angel group is planning to burp out some more seed-fund packets this fall, so I'll be keeping an eye on that. Would definitely re-apply; his rejection letter invited it, and we're gained a lot of self-definition as a company since then.
Unfortunately, his more recent writing, and the text on the group's website, makes him sound even even more overtly age-discriminatory than he was in the spring. He's clearly a big fan of startups helmed by 24-year-olds, and specifically says that he's excited to help companies launched by bold college kids. It makes me kind of frustrated, since it didn't occur to me that I could do this until I was 30, after bouncing around full-time employment-land for eight years, thinking it was the only option. (Once again proving that I am socially retarded by about five years. I keep thinking that I've run out of ways for this to manifest itself, and it keeps surprising me.)
I have decided now that I just can't be happy working for someone else. So having an influential person imply "bzzt, too late" is not encouraging. Is *frumple*. (I don't think he means to imply this; I'm still seven years from the dream on, gramps age he sets in his "How to Start a Startup" essay. But whatever.)
Rereading his (actually very encouraging despite all my complaining) essay, I come to a passage were he describes the fact you'll have to work like an animal to push your startup ahead (fine by me), and that when he did his, he had nearly no free time for anything else. This worries me a little, mostly where the TV show is concerned -- it makes me so happy and I don't want to give it up. I don't think I spend that much time on it, in the big picture, and I assume I'll be able to edit faster as I learn more about the process. We'll see, we'll see.
I wish there were beer in the house. All the beer for sale is just far enough away to be inconvenient, now that I'm carless. However, I'll state that this is about the extent of the pain that being carless for months now is causing, so that's pretty good.
Beer is a good mental lubricant for film editing. Better than coffee, I think.
I've just reserved a zipcar to go fetch some beer for me. Go. If only.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-18 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-18 02:15 am (UTC)well, I do think it is a lot easier to work insane hours when you are a 20-something, but you also don't have a lot of experience and (most importantly) wisdom on how to make difficult decisions at that age.
I personally think the 30s are a great time to start your own business -- you have experience in life, greater than entry level experience in your career/job/work (presumably), some sort of network of contacts/friends to draw upon. And probably some minor amount of fiscal resources. Of course, you also may have a family, kids, and debt payments, which kinda complicate things.
And it is better than doing it in your 40s... or 50s.. which I have seen done, but mostly be people who have worked a full career, have a retirement plan, kids gone, and so forth.. and want to do something for themselves for 5 or 10 years.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-18 02:20 am (UTC)Mmmm beer
Date: 2005-08-18 02:37 am (UTC)A zipcar just for picking up beer. Cool.
I saw a zipcar up here outside my favorite local pub. I almost took a picture of it. It was funny, so tourist-ey. They had the map prominently on hand, luggage in the back seat, obviously not from 'around here'. But still, this was my first real experience with actually seeing a zip car.
I hit it with my van on the way out of town, just fer spite.
Well, not really. :)