Ask HN: Should I give up?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=675256
by sui_generis80 • 17 years ago
66 69 17 years ago

(Posting this under a different account to my usual, for reasons which will become obvious)

So, I find myself in this situation: After developing my start-up over the last 2 years outside of work, I quit, and launched doing it full-time 3 months ago, and have been working at it since then.

Without going into too much detail, my start-up is in the B2B space, in a reasonably conservative industry. I have been doing everything myself, from development, to sys-admin stuff, to sales, marketing etc. I'd characterize the feedback I've got from people in the industry so far as "mildly positive" - they express some interest in the idea, but are not yet willing to commit to it.

At the moment, I have enough cash on hand in the business to last until November, at current boot-strapped burn rates, and I have enough cash on hand personally (since the business isn't paying me a wage) until the end of September. After that, I can sell some stocks (around $10K worth) which would give me enough personal income and business income to last until around January 2010. However, if I took that path, and the business didn't then succeed, I would be facing bankruptcy.

My feeling is that I have perhaps started a business which attempts to do too much for a single founder with no employees and limited capital, trying to do something in the business/enterprise space which has long lead times, big perceived risks (for my clients, not me) and in an industry which is very slow to change.

I don't want to give the impression that I've already decided to give up, because I haven't.

So that's why I'm asking HN: How should I decide whether to give up, and go back and get a job until I have another startup idea, or keep going with this one, knowing that there is perhaps only a slim chance of success (but if I do succeed, it will be well and truly worth it)?

Happy to provide any further information if you think it relevant.

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