I had an email (of all things ! Not a comment here or on HN where I submitted the last post) asking me if I wanted to build a company so much why aren't I doing that instead of working for a consultancy doing staff augmentation at an investment bank.
It's something I ask myself a lot too.
Firstly, I gots bills to pay! Rent in London isn't cheap! If my parents were well off or my spouse was earning tons then it'd be a different story, but right now I just finished Uni and after having to pay the 3 month security deposit + a months rent + a ton of other things I didn't have much left. I want to get a cushion before I so anything too hasty.
Secondly, when I was here for my work experience year, I learned a ton, technical know-how aside I had no idea how a business really worked, I hadn't seen any of the dance everybody in business here does, how to execute a project and how to deal with things (and people) that are throwing it off course. How to build a proper relationship with someone through all the barriers some put up by default (hint, it often begins with alcohol, "I'll lose some control if you do, and we'll see what we're about").
The rules are different in the startup world, but not totally different, profit still needs to be made, people still need to get along, I began to see the sheer number of mistakes or long routes I would have taken, and I didn't even get to see that much of all this, it was only the extra projects I did after the 9-6 that I got some exposure.
I haven't got that so much at the moment as I've been working a project that's a bit 'meh', but I've learned a lot about people. Sometimes it's hard to imagine why someone would do something that seems so obviously detrimental to themselves and the team, I was surprised how much those same closed book types opened up when you ask them if they fancy going to lunch. People are complicated, as obvious as that is I need to never forget it. I'm off that project in a few days so hopefully that comes next will give me an opportunity to discover more.
So I'm still learning, I'm learning and I'm saving money, and a friend and I are trying to come up with ideas that would be worth working on, and I'm building things in my non-work time that might give me some more financial independence.
Any idea what else could I do? One thing I can think of is going to more startup-y events, the only problem I've had with that is when I go after work I can see the stares when I'm wearing a suit, like the "not one of us" vibe and I have to work extra to show that I'm a person not a suit !
The Starcraft2 wallet helps :p
Keep going Azim :)
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