I am trying to help you with my comment but it is going to be straight. You sound like someone who wants to have the cake and eat it too. If you have the itch so bad, you need to do something about it at some point and there never will be a right time. Trust me on that. Yes, you can take calculated risks etc but overall, there will never be that perfect day.
"Irreparable damage" is too strong of a phrase. That tells me that your itch is not that bad and it is more of a nice thing to do because many others do it. Don't think of it that way. If you truly want to do your own thing, think of it this way. What if you never do it ? Will you be ok with it on your death bed ? If not, do something now. If it doesn't matter that much to you, you are most likely better off just working for someone else.
Having said all this, if you are not sure about how to start your own thing, the next best thing is to join a small company/startup where you learn and are very close to the bottom line. Lot of startups/small companies (under 50 employees) would love to hire failed entrepreneurs.
Source: I have been doing my own thing for almost a decade now after working jobs for a decade. If you are a failed entrepreneur, hit me up. Always open to chatting.
You bring up whether I would be okay on my deathbed, and honestly I do think that if I don't do it I will regret it, but there are other things in life that I would regret not doing as well. I'm trying to gauge if it would mean an uncomfortable year or two if it meant having a lifelong impact on my earning potential.
I'm not sure I agree with you that joining a company of under 50 is the next best thing to entreprenuership. I've been there and it seems like you get a lot of the negatives (ambiguity on your role, disorganization, uncertainty on stability of business) without a lot of the benefits (freedom/flexibility to work on what you want and potential upside.)
For the record, I am the kind of person who wants to have my cake and eat it too, (what's the point of having cake if I'm not going to eat it?)
Regarding “irreparable damage”, I’ve started only one company; and it failed. But on the contrary the experience has improved my skills, career and job prospects.
Actually, a future investor even asked “how do we know you aren’t doing this just to bolster your career?”
Comments
"irreparable damage to my career."
I am trying to help you with my comment but it is going to be straight. You sound like someone who wants to have the cake and eat it too. If you have the itch so bad, you need to do something about it at some point and there never will be a right time. Trust me on that. Yes, you can take calculated risks etc but overall, there will never be that perfect day.
"Irreparable damage" is too strong of a phrase. That tells me that your itch is not that bad and it is more of a nice thing to do because many others do it. Don't think of it that way. If you truly want to do your own thing, think of it this way. What if you never do it ? Will you be ok with it on your death bed ? If not, do something now. If it doesn't matter that much to you, you are most likely better off just working for someone else.
Having said all this, if you are not sure about how to start your own thing, the next best thing is to join a small company/startup where you learn and are very close to the bottom line. Lot of startups/small companies (under 50 employees) would love to hire failed entrepreneurs.
Source: I have been doing my own thing for almost a decade now after working jobs for a decade. If you are a failed entrepreneur, hit me up. Always open to chatting.
You bring up whether I would be okay on my deathbed, and honestly I do think that if I don't do it I will regret it, but there are other things in life that I would regret not doing as well. I'm trying to gauge if it would mean an uncomfortable year or two if it meant having a lifelong impact on my earning potential.
I'm not sure I agree with you that joining a company of under 50 is the next best thing to entreprenuership. I've been there and it seems like you get a lot of the negatives (ambiguity on your role, disorganization, uncertainty on stability of business) without a lot of the benefits (freedom/flexibility to work on what you want and potential upside.)
For the record, I am the kind of person who wants to have my cake and eat it too, (what's the point of having cake if I'm not going to eat it?)
Regarding “irreparable damage”, I’ve started only one company; and it failed. But on the contrary the experience has improved my skills, career and job prospects.
Actually, a future investor even asked “how do we know you aren’t doing this just to bolster your career?”
I think most startups fail. I can't imagine rejecting a candidate because they took a swing at starting something and it didn't work out.
Isn't that what all careers are about (including theirs)? I would have told them to go pound sand.
Eh I think that was just a way of asking "How do we know you are serious about this"
"irreparable damage to my career."
Means I care too much what others think of me - which is not a great sign.
The most interesting companies I've seen are hiring former founders and have open roles - because they know you are a problem solver.