Startup or Shutup – A talk I gave for people thinking of beginning a startup

9 points by tdondich 10 years ago | 5 comments

A few months ago, I gave a talk at a local LaunchUp event in Las Vegas. The format was meant to be about my startup; however, I deviated and instead gave a talk about all the hurdles I encountered and how you need to be prepared if you intend to tackle the joy and disaster of entrepreneurship.

I didn't realize it at the time that my friend recorded the talk. So I decided to upload it and see if it would be of value to anyone.

The video link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ppRm4lUiM

I'd really appreciate any feedback, thoughts or discussions here or in the video comments.

Thanks!

gferrand 10 years ago |

"Quitting is lying to yourself." That resonated. No matter how hard it is to build a startup and face the roller coaster of entrepreneurship...I guess in the end I'm a masochist :D

Thanks for sharing, Taylor.

tdondich 10 years ago | |

Thanks for the comment! You know you're an entrepreneur when you get hit hard cry it out and get back up.

askafriend 10 years ago | | |

I think this type of advice is silly and in the end dangerous to those it seeks to help.

Life is complex and blanket dogma such as "never quit no matter what, screw the haters!" is detrimental. There ARE situations when you SHOULD quit. Recognizing those situations may be hard, but it's still worthwhile to consider quitting.

I don't care what fantasy of glory you're trying to chase, but for the love of god please be pragmatic about it and consider the entirety of the situation before making a decision that can impact your life in a big way, for better or for worse.