Jason Shen, co-founder of Ridejoy, writes about startup lessons, product personality, pitching, and early-career job advice.
Commenters respond to his startup advice with questions about product managers and note that advice from lucky people needs a grain of salt; he also links his rejection therapy talk.
Each to their own but things worth pointing out is:
Some people work hard but aren't as lucky with the "being rewarded for their hard work" part. A grain of salt required for lucky people's advice. Especially the one with short memory and rose tinted glasses (as other commenter noted, this guy seemed to have burned out[1]). It's Probably more a rationalization to himself and people around him (his kids and wife I guess) sugarcoated as an advice.
Second is people saying "I can retire early if I work hard now" I mean sure. Toil away the best years of your life when you have the most youth, beauty, energy and freedom so you can enjoy leisure when your body is aching and getting a good sleep is hard. I'm not that old but did my stint of "16 hour days 7 days a week" at startup and my reward was useless options and chronic illness flaring up (requiring two minor surgeries down the line). Glad I tried it out tho (minus the physical and mental health toil)
Work life balance slows career. Prioritizing work might speed it up. But I'm not sure the point of a career is the goal, but the journey itself.
I'll do some overtime and all nighters when it's required, rewarded, and I feel like the work matter to me.
[1] https://www.jasonshen.com/169/
This is a big question which can not be answered without knowing detail about you and your startup ideas. (In my opinion, B2B and B2C startups have totally different structure about idea and validating.)
Today I read a post about it in this link http://www.jasonshen.com/2014/test-your-startup-idea-with-a-minimum-viable-transaction/
When you think about your idea, generally tend to think about technology, product, development but generally this doesn't work.
(When Twitter first launch, most of people can't get their Twitter account. A big UX problem!)
(Beginning of something is totally different than already exist business.)
When validate idea, first don't too much focus on validating and speedly generate your prototype business. This business maybe your first sale or your first counseling.
Don't forget needed and optimal is very different. Everybody talks about their optimal but you should focus on your needed strategy.
Andreesen Horowitz became the apple of every startup founder's eye because they were the new guys who had success as investors while being friendly to startups
I'd rather raise money from a guy who wears a 'No Bitchassness' [0] shirt who wants to pump up my valuation, help me recruit tech talent, and allow me to give equity to compensate my best people versus some stodgy old guy who thinks he's better than everyone because he invested in [insert successful company from the 90s/early 2000s].
Basically, they were the uber of VCs in terms of how they treated their portfolio companies.
That said, I generally don't like media that praises investors because once we start glorifying the fund-raising process rather than bootstrapping and making money, we'll have tons of companies with too much money and no exit. Bubble burst.
0: http://www.jasonshen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/benhorowitz-150x150.png
OP here. Thanks for reading my post and providing feedback.
This post wasn't meant to be a deep dive but more a list of activities ("ship before you feel totally done") and ways of thinking ("the best ideas are usually not universally embraced") that have served me. I have other posts that get very specific - like this one about making email introductions - http://www.jasonshen.com/2011/the-anatomy-of-a-great-email-introduction/
You are entitled to your opinion about the value of my blog but as I mention in BP #5, people struggle to put themselves in the minds of others. Your logic appears to be "I don't find this valuable, therefore this person and everyone like him should not blog." Based on the number of tweets, upvotes, and personal messages I've received about this post, it has provided tremendous value to lots of people who happen to be different from you.
I know and understand webapps, however, I find it really hard to understand what they are building.
My take is that they are afraid to be seen as something that exists therefore their marketing is geared towards making it seem they are building something that has never existed.
I would suggest configuring their pitch to something that exists (even if it is not in the exact same domain. e.g we are the X of Y), then explain how they are different or better.
Better still, create a demo/description for one use case.
Dear Rocktrs, do read this post if you have the time http://www.jasonshen.com/2012/eleven-compelling-startup-pitch-archetypes-with-examples-from-yc-companies/
They are getting so much attention, I hope they use it.
My question is when do startups begin to add Product Managers?
From my experience in the early stages the company hires as many engineers as possible, esp after funding.
Should PMs have to make a case for their position?
Do founders mostly act in this role?
All things considered, it I understand it varies from startup to startup, I am just trying to understand my best place as a PM in the startup community.
PS- Another Great Article by Jason- http://www.jasonshen.com/2010/things-ive-learned-in-three-weeks-at-a-startup/