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Ask HN: Another startup or a comfortable position?
1 point by tpae on May 8, 2014 | hide | past | favorite | 4 comments
I am a full stack engineer.

I have been doing startups since I was 21 years old. Since then, I experienced consecutive failures in 3 different startups, being a technical co-founder in all of them.

1st startup: After bootstrapping the company for 2.5 years (launched after 1 year), team fell apart due to drama relating with equity.

2nd startup: Company received $500k in funding, burned through it, launched within 4 months, and died when it failed to pick up traction. Lasted 1 year.

3rd startup: Company received $100k in funding, finished MVP within 3 weeks, launched, failed to pick up traction. Lasted 8 months.

Ever since, I've been planning my 4th startup, and have managed to finish the MVP on my own, while working at a full time job. It's been 8 months, and I have found a solid team to get this company off the ground. We just finished our homepage and is ready to launch this week.

However, I recently received an offer from a very successful startup, with high salary, stock options, and awesome benefits.

I am at a crossroad right now. I have no idea what to do next.

Startup life is tough, and with each and every failure, I felt devastated. I've been poor most of my life, but I've been doing my best at not giving up and have learned tremendously through each failures.

If you were in my position, what would you do?



You are talking about the startup like it is a commodity. Is it a brilliant game changing idea that could fundamentally revolutionize a space? Is it a To-Do list knock off? You should not do a start-up to do a start-up, you should do a startup because somewhere inside of you there is an outrageous, nearly undefinable force driving you to do it because you know the idea in some form or another must exist for the world to be as it should


I agree with you completely. I wouldn't have went for the 2nd or 3rd, if I didn't truly believe in the idea. Same goes for the 4th.

I personally believe it's a brilliant game changing idea.


I would go for the 4th one. I am 25 years old in a 3rd world country working as front-end developer, and I would give everything just to be in your place. Life is short you can always work at some places, I think you should go for it. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.


Take the offer and become an advisor to your 4th startup?




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