Ask HN: How startups changed you as a person?
I am sure startups brings lifestyle changes and even change in our thought process.What are the changes that you have witnessed in yourself after you became involved with startups? After exposure to the C* level, and being on the board of a quasi-non-profit that was trying to transform to a proper non-profit.... I realize the power games at that level are far more "important" - the technical work of course is the foundation, but if you have people with anti-social personality disorders at the helm, all the super improve-the-world tech matters little. I perhaps am just unlucky, I am not trying to tar and feather all business majors and 'Management". But I have learned not to trust anyone at all when money and power is involved. My psychopath-dar has been greatly improved. Organizations with incompetent or worse management never amount to anything and they are a headache to work for. When I was just a regular "joe" starting in the first Internet bubble, I went with a company where the management all had a track record at well known companies, and the ones I met seemed like decent people. It was a good company, but the bubble burst too fast before we could get any real traction. The other company I turned down imploded due to some drama and "too young" management. Maybe its with experience, and working in a more traditional role for so long afterwards, but I feel like the biggest change was awareness of how long things take to do. I still see people dive head first into problems and I just think "man, insurance is going to be immense," or "do you know how long that's going to take!" I can't work out if naivety is actually a benefit, or if these people see value or a future I don't. So really, I see time as far more limited and more valuable as it ever was, and it stops me from picking up new things (for good or for bad).