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April 30, 2024
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I can only speak from my own experience, but I had no trouble getting a "real" job after leaving commodities to start a company. Granted, I've only had two "real" jobs since 1999 and one was investment related (so I'm not sure that counts - that kind of job should be easy for a guy like me to get), but the other one was with a software company where I had very little relevant experience and they pretty much hired me on the spot.
So, no, it's not much of an impediment if you frame it right.
what eddie said, "if you frame it right" - i think it shows you had balls. i think it can especially help if you can show some #'s that business was succesful, your business plan/model, what you learned from it, did you have employees, what did you learn from it. when hiring, bosses want to know that you can think for yourself rather than being babysat every 5 minutes, if you've ran your own business then this is potentially good proof of this
One thing you have to realize is that once you've run your own deal you're probably going to be a pretty shitty employee. You'll be in the habit of spotting redundancy and inefficiency, and your bosses will get tired of hearing about where they're fucking up and how you can do it better. I ended up being the top producer for the software company and they fired me anyway, and I couldn't blame them.
Companies always want to hire top guns, and they love the numbers you produce, but once they figure out that you're unmanageable your days are numbered.
In fact I'm kinda unmanageable. I was so dissapointed with middle management after I've joined my first job.
I hate mindnumbing activities and I feel deprived from my creativity, imagination and desire of achievement.
There are so many people doing shit just for the $..
You need to stop thinking that way.
At some point, it's important to have the humility to know when to hold and when to fold, but going into this, you need to have the mentality that the only option is success.
You need to run your idea by a lot of people. It needs to be a very high quality one. And you need to go into this with the assumption that there's no escape hatch.
-You don't sign up for Navy SEAL training wondering what your backup plan is if you're part of the 75% that don't make it.
-You don't go into a successful marriage wondering when you will get divorced.
-You don't put in a successful application to HBS wondering what will happen if you flunk out.
-You don't start a successful business wondering "Gee, what if I don't make it?"
1.) Figure out what you're losing sleep over and fix it. Maybe you don't have enough to capitalize it. Spend more time getting more capital. Maybe you're not experienced enough to build it. Get more experience. Maybe the idea might not be good enough. Run it by some smart people. 2.) Then start the business. Being a worrier is an asset, but you can't go in focusing on the 95% worst case. You have to focus on the average case or the best case. And then you have to focus on making that happen. 3.) When the time comes, you need to be sober enough to know when to keep pressing on or when to quit. But going into this, before you let the idea fully play out, there is no option to fail. If something could result in failure, you need to adjust your business plan to mitigate that risk.
I ran a small business as a web host in HS and college for six years. I learned a lot. I hit the average case- being able to pay myself about $10-15/hour for part-time work, but if I had been focusing on the worst case situation, I never would have made it that far in the first place.
This post is meant as a pep talk with a smile in my voice; not as a rebuke. You're going to make it, but you just need to get the idea, the mentality, and the attitude there, first.
more importantly...we have another asshole who ends his stuff with cheers
Go into the business with a winning attitude and you'll be fine. Regardless of how successful your business is, you can use it to your advantage when job hunting. You got this.
Going back to industry or wherever you want to go will be easier if your business was successful.
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