Honestly if you are starting a startup to get rich, just quit and get a real job because you'll get richer quicker. Unless you are a consultant (and thats not really a startup), you will most likely not end up rich, and stats show this. You may bring in a modest salary of 100k+ (That you can pull in anyways in the valley as an engineer), but you'll work far harder for that cash than that other engineer who just has a job. Find something you are really passionate about, and work towards either working on it or start working on it if its possible. I get it, I'm 23 with a wife and kid, but I don't let it stop me from making things, and I certainly don't complain about the choices I made. Yeah, a kid takes time, but that doesn't mean I can't make time. A wife takes time, but I still have 2+ hours per day at least to work on my ideas/read and workout. Thats with a job that eats up 9 hours a day. Being an entrepreneur is a mindset rather than an occupation. If you want to build something (and I mean really want to build it), nothing will stop you.
I agree with much of what the OP talked about but there are a few things that I 100% disagree with. For example: "Burn the boats behind you". Absolutely the worst advice I have ever heard. I have hopped around from agency to agency and have good relations with them all and I do sometimes call on those relationships for business reasons. DO NOT BURN YOUR BOATS OR BRIDGES!
I dont think OP meant burn all your personal relationships. I think he may have meant to make the jump to working for yourself fulltime, rather than having the cushion of a salary job.
I think these are good advises about the mindset you need to be a successfull entrepreneur. But I do believe you need even more luck if passion if your main driver. I admit you need to like what you do but if you want to create something big you need to have a business focused approach and constantly analyse/test how technology can transform your product into the best fit for your clients. To stick to this methodology you need more ambition than passion.
actually very interesting and well said; I did read it word by word till the end, and didn't felt like skipping even once. I think a lot of people will feel the same :)
btw, yeah I'm scared to death right now of failing, and I hope it works no matter what for me, what I'm doing.
