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Ever have unrealistic standards?

My startup is doing great. We just launched and it’s running fabulously and were about to make some real money…

But I’m already 22 years old and I’m about to graduate and start a full time job. I keep comparing myself to the successes of the greats like Vanderbilt and Carnegie. It makes me sad that I haven’t made a fortune nor am I directly en route to acquire one. They did things which are currently illegal in order to amass such fortunes. I just can’t be as wealthy nor as rich as they were. Not even close. My family, my children, nor I will ever live the life of extreme excess wealth that the inheritance children lived from birth for Vanderbilts.

I don’t know.. I just feel shitty about it. I just want to be as successful as them.

  • Bill Gates did it in this era. Zuckerberg and others as well, even though I don’t think that Zuckerberg is even that bright to be honest. I have the same way of thinking; of gaining a mega fortune like that.

    You have to work hard though and even then you’re not guaranteed success. If you’re willing to accept that fact then you’ll be mentally able to take on the challenge, since people who want success immediately will likely quit after a few bumps in the road.

    I wanted to become an entrepreneur at the same age as you and now I’m 27 and I haven’t made my mega fortunes, but I’ve started many companies and failed a lot and had some success and learned many things. Now I’m working on a company that I think will earn me my fortune and I’m about to launch it soon.

    This time I’m a seasoned veteran who knows what to expect. Good luck to you on your journey.

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  • Maybe you feel shitty about it because you’re quitting to do a regular FT job upon graduation (at least, this is how I’m interpreting your post)? You’re not out of time to become a great, but you do need to just do what you need to do if you want to become a great.

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  • Keep it mind, no matter how much we glorify the amassing of riches, you still can’t take it with you. Find the right balance between financial success and living a life that you love.

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  • Well, you could go back in time and kill Teddy Roosevelt. I don’t know why you would compare yourself with Carnegie and Vanderbilt; it’s like pursuing a political career and being frustrated because you are not the son of Henry VIII. As the person in the first comment said, compare yourself to people from this generation, although I should point out that if you are after billions of dollars there are more efficient ways than to become a tech entrepreneur to make it, go into finances now, or be ready to get rid of your startup fast and do some smart investment. And don’t worry about not being megarich at 22, once you start making it, money tends to pile up fast.

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  • You are comparing with historical characters. Their methods are obsolete. You should instead be comparing with today’s prodigies like the founders of WhatsApp.

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  • [Eye roll] The real answer is STFU.

    IMO don’t do the f/t job. You’re poor right now and you can stay poor for a while working on your startup, under your parents insurance and watch your peers start making some cash. What’s the worst that can happen? You go work for someone else? So what. This is the time to do it. You have nothing to lose.

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  • Keep in mind that you don’t want to amass a huge fortune this early on in life. You’ll most likely crack under the immense pressure money creates. Your interpersonal relationships will be strained, your entire world will flip upside down.

    Money is best made over a span, not in a lump sum. Look at all the lotto winners. Always be working towards a goal, and eventually you’ll get there.

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  • If it’s money your after become a banker. The people you mentioned landed where they were because they found a way to innovate something to perfection. It just so happens that it made them rich along the way.

    You start a business to solve a problem that society otherwise is not curently providing. I.e creating demand.

    The real question is how unique and dedicated you are to the startups value proposition to risk it?

    Reply
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