There’s No Better Time to Start a Company

So if you’ve an awesome idea go for it. And with all the talk of a bubble, it’s tempting to just think of an idea, build it and go raise money.

But I want to start a company solving a problem I’m passionate about. A company that scratches my own itch, instead one that just attacks a potential market gap. When shit hits the fan, it’s this passion in solving the problem that will carry people through. Not the fantasy of starting a company.

Whether it was solving the online review inertia, helping people expand their social network, or encouraging students in a risk-adverse county to join startups, they all had one thing in common – these were problems I didn’t stop thinking about. Among what I’ve done, they were the ones I enjoyed the most.

Until then, put yourself in the right positions that so that when the chance comes, you can jump all over it.

Epilogue

Startup School 2011. Paul Graham took the stage for a round of office hours. The sparring was about to begin, but he first addressed the audience. I was expecting a “no better time” pep talk. Not this time.

“The desire to start a startup precedes the idea…the best startup ideas don’t come from people thinking of startup ideas..”

That drove the point home.