I think the article oversees an important factor in startup success: the needs of the market is a vast land, and surely there is an intersection with a passion yours.
I can't envision the founder of Bang & Olufsen being indifferent to sound quality, or the founder of Herman Miller being indifferent to office furniture. I chose these companies deliberately because I don't know their founders, but I'm sure they were passionate about their field.
I can't fathom building a company for a market that might be lucrative, but is meaningless to me. I'd rather build 10 failed companies than create a profitable CRM for telemarketers.
> I can't fathom building a company for a market that might be lucrative, but is meaningless to me. I'd rather build 10 failed companies than create a profitable CRM for telemarketers.
That's a luxury not many people have. Many can't afford 10 failures on top of a family to feed or other debt and obligations.
But they CAN get jobs (well, in theory, prevailing market conditions aside). Not everyone is supposed to be an entrepreneur, but those that try gain valuable skills they can apply elsewhere, even if it doesn't work out.
I think while you are right you have to bear in mind that what you have commented on is their position in the market . The co's you mention are at the top end of their market, if I'm honest I know very little about these companies, I don't know if their current price/quality point is as it always has been or if its developed to that point.
As a beer drinker but not quite beer lover If I realized there was an opportunity in the beer market, then as an entrepreneur I'd deliver what the market wanted. If it was a a high quality drink then I'm sure in could deliver it.
Sorry if that point is fizzled I'm writing this on my phone. I'm just saying while I agree passion helps, I wouldn't say its an absolute necessity for delivering a high quality product.
Edit: I realize now your point is more about you even wanting to start the company as opposed to being able yo deliver it.
Personally I enjoy business and solving these problems and watching these solutions get used. What I'm saying is the buzz therefore for me is the process of business vs the space. I think what that means in practice is I don't have a list of spaces I will go into, but a list of spaces I will not.
Again, sorry, writing this in my phone has not been a pleasurable experience!
I don't think you are making a correct analogy here. If you build software and that's what you enjoy, then build software, don't build audio systems or design furniture. The actual industry you build software for... well not as important, as long as you are building software as that is where your passion is.
Your day to day activities for your work are very similar if you are building software for a call centre or building software to manage coffee distribution (I am just assuming you might like coffee here). The industry plays a very small part in what you do, but it greatly impacts the chance of success.
I don't think you get the idea. "Building software" by itself doesn't mean anything; software is made to have some utility.
The parent is not talking about code, if you're starting a business, the industry defines a major part of what you do.
I disagree. Building software does mean something, it is what you are doing every day. If I am building software, I am writing code, testing, deploying and designing user experience workflows. All of that is the same no matter which industry my end users are in.
Sure your product is made to have some utility, but it doesn't have anywhere near the impact on your day to day activities that people think it does.
The industry defines a major part of what your software does, not as big a part of what you do. I think it's an important distinction.
Comments
I think the article oversees an important factor in startup success: the needs of the market is a vast land, and surely there is an intersection with a passion yours.
I can't envision the founder of Bang & Olufsen being indifferent to sound quality, or the founder of Herman Miller being indifferent to office furniture. I chose these companies deliberately because I don't know their founders, but I'm sure they were passionate about their field.
I can't fathom building a company for a market that might be lucrative, but is meaningless to me. I'd rather build 10 failed companies than create a profitable CRM for telemarketers.
> I can't fathom building a company for a market that might be lucrative, but is meaningless to me. I'd rather build 10 failed companies than create a profitable CRM for telemarketers.
That's a luxury not many people have. Many can't afford 10 failures on top of a family to feed or other debt and obligations.
But they CAN get jobs (well, in theory, prevailing market conditions aside). Not everyone is supposed to be an entrepreneur, but those that try gain valuable skills they can apply elsewhere, even if it doesn't work out.
I think while you are right you have to bear in mind that what you have commented on is their position in the market . The co's you mention are at the top end of their market, if I'm honest I know very little about these companies, I don't know if their current price/quality point is as it always has been or if its developed to that point.
As a beer drinker but not quite beer lover If I realized there was an opportunity in the beer market, then as an entrepreneur I'd deliver what the market wanted. If it was a a high quality drink then I'm sure in could deliver it.
Sorry if that point is fizzled I'm writing this on my phone. I'm just saying while I agree passion helps, I wouldn't say its an absolute necessity for delivering a high quality product.
Edit: I realize now your point is more about you even wanting to start the company as opposed to being able yo deliver it.
Personally I enjoy business and solving these problems and watching these solutions get used. What I'm saying is the buzz therefore for me is the process of business vs the space. I think what that means in practice is I don't have a list of spaces I will go into, but a list of spaces I will not.
Again, sorry, writing this in my phone has not been a pleasurable experience!
I don't think you are making a correct analogy here. If you build software and that's what you enjoy, then build software, don't build audio systems or design furniture. The actual industry you build software for... well not as important, as long as you are building software as that is where your passion is.
Your day to day activities for your work are very similar if you are building software for a call centre or building software to manage coffee distribution (I am just assuming you might like coffee here). The industry plays a very small part in what you do, but it greatly impacts the chance of success.
I don't think you get the idea. "Building software" by itself doesn't mean anything; software is made to have some utility. The parent is not talking about code, if you're starting a business, the industry defines a major part of what you do.
I disagree. Building software does mean something, it is what you are doing every day. If I am building software, I am writing code, testing, deploying and designing user experience workflows. All of that is the same no matter which industry my end users are in.
Sure your product is made to have some utility, but it doesn't have anywhere near the impact on your day to day activities that people think it does.
The industry defines a major part of what your software does, not as big a part of what you do. I think it's an important distinction.
The discussion is about founding a company. You're talking about being a software engineer.
I'm really not. I understand the context.
@roel_v yes. Also a very relevant one to the conversation. See my profile.
Sorry to be 'that guy', but have you ever build a (successful) business?