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Feeling uninspired after failed startup?

1 pointsby tommaxwellover 11 years ago
Hi HN community,<p>I&#x27;m desperately in need of some help here. Just a few months ago I stopped building a startup with my friend that I had began 7 months earlier, and ever since then I have been simply languishing. No longer with the commitment of a job or big project to keep me busy and challenged, I haven&#x27;t been doing much of anything. I&#x27;ve traveled some to see friends, tinkered away on some small JavaScript projects, and blogged a lot -- but that&#x27;s about it. Most days I just read books or browse Twitter and HN.<p>I have no clue what I should do next. I&#x27;m only 18, but graduated high school two years early and joined a startup immediately upon graduation. So this is really the first time I have been without any commitments. I was thinking about traveling the US some more and finding companies that would be willing to exchange web dev work for room and board, but I haven&#x27;t started looking into that much yet.<p>My hope with posting here is that I&#x27;ll find someone that has gone through a similar experience of languishing and getting nothing done. I feel lazy, embarrassed to meet people for fear of them asking what I&#x27;m up to -- because the answer would be nothing. Anyone have advice on how to move forward? How to find inspiration or motivation?

2 comments

msieover 11 years ago
Wow, only 18? I went to University for 5 years and only after that did I join a startup. No need to panic right now! If you could find a single topic to deep-dive in for the next 6 months you would be well ahead of many people and you would only be at most 19 years of age! Just show up at all sorts of meetups and find stuff to get interested in. Also, it&#x27;s not like opportunities are running out for you. It was iphone apps one year, then bitcoin the next. Next, it will be VR or robotics or 3d printing...or touchless car washes (I&#x27;m not kidding, those things make money!).
htilfordover 11 years ago
There is no shame in having a failed startup. There is no shame in being between things. You just need to get out and talk to people. Let inspiration find you.