Confessions (page 10) — Startups Anonymous

Confessions·Jul 18, 20147

Why is it that those with “big” and also “middle-size” names are saying they’re so damn open and easy to contact, and when you look for an Email or try to connect somewhere, they never respond, nor even accept an invite? Just bla bla bla as always.

Confessions·Jul 15, 20144

Launched my site last month and had certain expectations that are nowhere to being met. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe my product sucks. I hope it’s the former.

Confessions·Jul 15, 20143

My motivation is like a roller-coaster this week.

Confessions·Jul 15, 20142

Last week was awesome. We launched our MVP, got accepted into the accelerator of our choice, and someone used the product to great effect immediately. Sometimes entrepreneurship feels great.

Confessions·Jul 14, 201413

A why must I cry moment: When inbound interest for dev position says they use Drupal (ugh!).

Confessions·Jul 13, 201411

As a solo ‘trep I’ve got my first tech product built to minimum viable product stage. I think it’s a good product, but now I’ve got to start selling it, I’ve hit a brick wall. I keep telling myself to ‘man up’ but I just can’t cross that hurdle.

Confessions·Jul 12, 201410

Sometimes when I have a ton of shit to do, I just stare at my computer and do nothing. I’m such a disorganized mess and I really wish I wasn’t.

Confessions·Jul 10, 20143

I’m in-freaking-credibly insecure as a founder. People (I think) look to me for guidance – but I don’t see myself as worthy of that. Any other high-ish founder personalities out there having trouble staying confident?

Confessions·Jul 9, 201412

Solo founder here. I endure regular bouts of depression. It destroys my productivity. Eventually, the depression subsides and I resume the madness. It seems to happen in waves.

Confessions·Jul 9, 201420

Solo non-tech founder who launched my beta last week. My friends have barely acknowledged it. We’re all aspiring business owners & I feel they’re so envious they can’t be happy for me. I don’t need praise to motivate me, but it really hurts.

Confessions·Jul 8, 201410

My friend and I are co-CEOs. This was great at the beginning when everything was 50/50. Now that we raised $700k in seed capital, my friend’s megalomania is getting to be a problem. He’s micromanaging and bullying everyone. How do I fix this?

Confessions·Jul 8, 20145

I joined a promising startup which had been around for 1.5 years and needed a media whiz to beef up their presence and create buzz, so their user base grows – the main problem at the time. I was excited, moved cities for them and took a serious salary cut just so we could do this thing. Then I realized they’re about to flop and they want to generate media buzz and acquire new users on a zero budget. No ads, no incentives. The money situation got so bad that they started paying me by the blog post / tweet / Facebook update… I had to find another job. I could not convince them you cannot make something out of nothing. Has any other media and comms mgr experienced that?

Confessions·Jul 7, 201425

I was regularly sexually assaulted by a founder while working at a startup. Endured it for 11 months, and then I was fired – no severance, no options. I know if my story ever got out, he would be forced to resign. But I can’t do it, I love him.

Confessions·Jul 7, 20149

I feel guilty about having a relatively easy time raising money. I seeded my own company with a fund that I share with my parents. Now, I’m close to finalizing my first series A. I know this is hard, and I feel guilty it was easy for me and not others.

Confessions·Jul 7, 201417

After being told “I wouldn’t fund you in a million years” from a famous VC, I got so angry that I sent 20 pizzas with anchovies to his house from various pizza chains at the same time. Now, I feel a bit guilty about it, anyway I can fix this?

Confessions·Jul 2, 201417

I’m getting sick of my co-founders. We’re four people and when it comes to webdesign everyone wants to have a word, even though I’m the only one that actually ever worked in the area professionally. Decisions are taking way too long.

Confessions·Jul 2, 201410

Spent the last little bit learning angular just to find out it doesn’t quite fit my needs and I still need to learn a backend like node.js to make it all fucking come together. Node already looks super hard and feels low level. I miss the days of simple php and HTML which is what Ive always been used to.

Confessions·Jun 30, 20144

There are more lows than highs at this stage…good things around the corner? Back to work.

Confessions·Jun 30, 20146

I’ve burnt out. I’ve been working non-stop to get my startup to work. Now I can’t get myself to do even the simplest tasks.People keep telling me to rest but I honestly can’t disengage from my startup even when I’m not working on it. Fuck

Confessions·Jun 30, 20145

I’m a little jealous, and also annoyed by the tech start-up crowd. I’ve been an entrepreneur in a traditional field for a few years now. It’s hard for anyone to start ANY kind of business. It takes loads of creativity and courage to start a business.

Confessions·Jun 29, 20144

I’ve been pulling 90-hour work weeks at my startup & day job. No sleep, no free time — just work. Our user base has grown like crazy, we’ve received major press, but no rev. I just quit my day job because it’s not worth depression. But I’m scared.

Confessions·Jun 27, 20143

I want my start-up to fail so I won’t have to deal with my cofounders shitty personality ever again.

Confessions·Jun 26, 20146

My friends, my boyfriend and my parents don’t support me, yet I am quite confident this time I will be able to make it with my new startup. I just hope their lack of confidence doesn’t wear me out.

Confessions·Jun 24, 20144

I know why my business failed. I wasted too much money buying raw material. I didn’t plan. I didn’t believe. My product was great but I didn’t market it well. I was haphazard and lax. But. I’m ready to start over again. And I’m a lot more confident and have huge respect for all startups.

Confessions·Jun 24, 20146

Having worked corporate/enterprise, and now three startup jobs in a row, I have no faith in the startup mythos of cutting-edge tech or openness to innovation anymore, especially coming out of “tech startups”.

Confessions·Jun 22, 20143

Every day my frustrations increase. I need an outlet beyond exercise. I think I’m going to take up hunting.

Confessions·Jun 19, 20145

I thought that an accelerator was a place where we could put our heads down and just get stuff done. I didn’t expect there to be this much drama at all.

Confessions·Jun 19, 20144

If you want to be an entrepreneur, don’t waste your money or your time getting an MBA. The world isn’t waiting for you when you graduate with one and you’ll be in debt up to your eyeballs, limiting your options.

Confessions·Jun 18, 201410

I got laid off from a start-up after working my ass off for 4 years. Thought it was my company, worked weekends, days, nights. Did everything possible to make it a success. But the CEO screwed up sales and then they just threw me under the bus!

Confessions·Jun 18, 20147

Confessions

Why is it that those with “big” and also “middle-size” names are saying they’re so damn open and easy to contact, and when you look for an Email or try to connect somewhere, they never respond, nor even accept an invite? Just bla bla bla as always.

Launched my site last month and had certain expectations that are nowhere to being met. Maybe my expectations were too high or maybe my product sucks. I hope it’s the former.

My motivation is like a roller-coaster this week.

Last week was awesome. We launched our MVP, got accepted into the accelerator of our choice, and someone used the product to great effect immediately. Sometimes entrepreneurship feels great.

A why must I cry moment: When inbound interest for dev position says they use Drupal (ugh!).

As a solo ‘trep I’ve got my first tech product built to minimum viable product stage. I think it’s a good product, but now I’ve got to start selling it, I’ve hit a brick wall. I keep telling myself to ‘man up’ but I just can’t cross that hurdle.

Sometimes when I have a ton of shit to do, I just stare at my computer and do nothing. I’m such a disorganized mess and I really wish I wasn’t.

I’m in-freaking-credibly insecure as a founder. People (I think) look to me for guidance – but I don’t see myself as worthy of that. Any other high-ish founder personalities out there having trouble staying confident?

Solo founder here. I endure regular bouts of depression. It destroys my productivity. Eventually, the depression subsides and I resume the madness. It seems to happen in waves.

Solo non-tech founder who launched my beta last week. My friends have barely acknowledged it. We’re all aspiring business owners & I feel they’re so envious they can’t be happy for me. I don’t need praise to motivate me, but it really hurts.

My friend and I are co-CEOs. This was great at the beginning when everything was 50/50. Now that we raised $700k in seed capital, my friend’s megalomania is getting to be a problem. He’s micromanaging and bullying everyone. How do I fix this?

I was regularly sexually assaulted by a founder while working at a startup. Endured it for 11 months, and then I was fired – no severance, no options. I know if my story ever got out, he would be forced to resign. But I can’t do it, I love him.

I feel guilty about having a relatively easy time raising money. I seeded my own company with a fund that I share with my parents. Now, I’m close to finalizing my first series A. I know this is hard, and I feel guilty it was easy for me and not others.

After being told “I wouldn’t fund you in a million years” from a famous VC, I got so angry that I sent 20 pizzas with anchovies to his house from various pizza chains at the same time. Now, I feel a bit guilty about it, anyway I can fix this?

I’m getting sick of my co-founders. We’re four people and when it comes to webdesign everyone wants to have a word, even though I’m the only one that actually ever worked in the area professionally. Decisions are taking way too long.

There are more lows than highs at this stage…good things around the corner? Back to work.

I’ve burnt out. I’ve been working non-stop to get my startup to work. Now I can’t get myself to do even the simplest tasks.People keep telling me to rest but I honestly can’t disengage from my startup even when I’m not working on it. Fuck

I’m a little jealous, and also annoyed by the tech start-up crowd. I’ve been an entrepreneur in a traditional field for a few years now. It’s hard for anyone to start ANY kind of business. It takes loads of creativity and courage to start a business.

I’ve been pulling 90-hour work weeks at my startup & day job. No sleep, no free time — just work. Our user base has grown like crazy, we’ve received major press, but no rev. I just quit my day job because it’s not worth depression. But I’m scared.

I want my start-up to fail so I won’t have to deal with my cofounders shitty personality ever again.

My friends, my boyfriend and my parents don’t support me, yet I am quite confident this time I will be able to make it with my new startup. I just hope their lack of confidence doesn’t wear me out.

I know why my business failed. I wasted too much money buying raw material. I didn’t plan. I didn’t believe. My product was great but I didn’t market it well. I was haphazard and lax. But. I’m ready to start over again. And I’m a lot more confident and have huge respect for all startups.

Having worked corporate/enterprise, and now three startup jobs in a row, I have no faith in the startup mythos of cutting-edge tech or openness to innovation anymore, especially coming out of “tech startups”.

Every day my frustrations increase. I need an outlet beyond exercise. I think I’m going to take up hunting.

I thought that an accelerator was a place where we could put our heads down and just get stuff done. I didn’t expect there to be this much drama at all.

If you want to be an entrepreneur, don’t waste your money or your time getting an MBA. The world isn’t waiting for you when you graduate with one and you’ll be in debt up to your eyeballs, limiting your options.

I got laid off from a start-up after working my ass off for 4 years. Thought it was my company, worked weekends, days, nights. Did everything possible to make it a success. But the CEO screwed up sales and then they just threw me under the bus!

So many people think accelerators are their fast pass to success. I can say from personal experience, it can also be your fast pass to failure. Truth.