We Are the 99%(of the entrepreneurs)
I finished college a few years ago and worked since then in various companies as a software and embedded engineer. Two years ago I decided to open my own company and follow the American dream.
Slowly we are starting to release products , which are not by any means mainstream , but since this is a global company (ahem) there might be 20 people to buy the product.
I read Hacker news and Hackaday , see what the guys from Sparkfun and Adafruit and Diydrones and hope to become one day like them.
The companies that are created in Silicon Valley, and with VC (venture capitalist) money and are sold for a ton of money are the exception and not the rule. But there is hope for the 90% rest of us.I have a healthy respect for Silicon Valley, and this place is a source of inspiration for all.
If you are an entrepreneur sometimes there is no choice to go to the Valley, but this is not reason not to start a business , but in order to succeed probably have to go against all the advice that is usually presented as truth in the Valley, and sometimes because is not a choice.
Not all the people are in their 20s and not married. Not all the people can work 80 hours a week thinking that in one day they will sell their stock and become millionaires.
The same rules apply for the companies wherever you are, and will fail or succeed in the same way.
There are plenty of examples of companies that started in somebody's bedroom and they are growing, while lots of Silicon Valley companies failed miserably and disappeared fast.You might fail too? Maybe, but if you think will worth the risk , go for it .
Don't sacrifice your family and your health in the process because is not worth it. When you are in 20s you still think you have time and your health and energy will last forever, but they will not.Going along with this idea, everything you do must be much more efficient and use your time more wisely. You might be forced to have a job and plan whole day for the moment that you will work on something related to your company and have only 1 hour a day to execute the idea. It is actually possible to do a lot of things in a short period of time if you are mentally prepared to do it, and also it might help knowing that you might not have too many choices.
Money are going to be a problem got get, so starting something that requires lots of money might be out of the question, unless you can convince your uncle to borrow you some money. No VC will talk to you , and
no exit will wait for you, unless you create a company and it is profitable and somebody is interested to buy the company .
This situation changes the whole perspective ,and makes you more careful how you execute your master plan to take over the world.