Can you work on two startups at once?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3764312

by kkt262 • 14 years ago

3 4 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Do you think it is feasible to work on two startups at once? And I'm not talking about being hired at one startup and doing something on the side, I mean two full-time startups where you are one of the founders.

Steve Jobs did it.

paulhauggis• 14 years ago

Most people can barely do one. It takes a special type of person to do both.

forrestblount• 14 years ago

It's possible, but I'd avoid it. I bootstrapped a startup while employed at a large (~500 person) company and let the company go in the wrong direction too long because of it. Later I joined a startup where the CEO was still employed at a company he'd founded previously. I don't think either company failed solely because of the other commitments, but we will never know what opportunities were missed because of them.

jsmartonly• 14 years ago

One at a time. There are only 24 hours per day. It takes a lot of work to make one work.

itsprofitbaron• 14 years ago

Personally, I wouldn't but yes it is possible as you said - Steve Jobs did it and Jack Dorsey does it.

However, this doesn't mean that you are Steve Jobs/Jack Dorsey and running two startups at once is hard work. Especially when, most people can't even run one!

There are tons of people's opinions regarding this for instance:

http://tech.li/2012/02/ceo-sundays-running-two-startups-is-m... - Argues its possible

http://learntoduck.com/startups/two-startups/ - Argues its not

FWIW: I'm not putting Steve Jobs or Jack Dorsey in the same boat, I'm just highlighting someone else who currently does it. (Nor am I discreditting Jack Dorsey by saying this - Square and Twitter are both great startups)

Can you work on two startups at once?

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