Ask HN: Do I give up now?

I've heard failure is good, but 10 years is a long time. That's how long I've been failing for now. I've worked on failed project after failed project, and now at 25, I'm wondering what the fuck I've been doing with my life - my youth.

When I was 15 me and my friend started a little hosting website. It was really fun. I learnt to program, and we even made a little bit of money. In the excitement I began to learn about business, startups and programming. I thought it was going to be so easy to make money. I mean, if I could make a bit of money on the web at 15 without knowing anything about business or programming, I'm going to be great at this startup stuff by 20 right? Well, clearly, I'm not.

And I read a lot. And I think even more. I just have no idea why I'm not succeeding. Because for the last 10 years I've worked 16-18 hours a day, every day, with absolutely nothing to show from it. Well, aside from the lack of a social life and the book on my coffee table by Eric Ries. I really should book that holiday.

Maybe I'm just not as smart as I like to think? But how would anyone know? I mean, I do okay on IQ tests.

Maybe I've just been unlucky? But 10 years of bad luck? Anyway, one must fail to succeed.

And even if I say so myself, I don't think my ideas suck. And even if they did, I've worked on other peoples ideas too.

So when do you give up HN? Because 10 years later I'm suck in a day job as a programmer. Something I never wanted to be, I just wanted to build a business.

I've built my own prison and I've lost some of the best years of my life behind a text editor and a dream. Not to mention the money and friends I've lost along the way.

I think maybe I've had too much wine. It's Friday night and I have a project to work on after all.