Worries of a founder wanna-be

I was really interested in starting a company. I learned about tech startups during my engineering undergrad, and have been always itching to try something of my own. I decided after graduation to get a few years of start-up work experience under my belt first.

Now after a few years of working in start-ups (late 20s), having been a drone in a soul-less job, gone through two burnouts, and survived a failed relationship, my perspectives have changed.

Although I still want to have a go at being a founder, I’m much more weary of the concept  because of past negative life experiences. I’m afraid of the pain and suffering that comes with high-stress and lots of responsibility. And, of course, the high risk of failure.

In addition, being female means that my biological clock ticks faster, and my family is forever inclined to remind me to find a husband and have kids ASAP, lest I expire. I agree with their reasons, but having a family while starting a company is too overwhelming.

I feel that the possibility of being a successful founder is moving farther and farther away from me.

How should I balance these pesky worries? Whats the best way for me to approach these problems from a sensible angle, and assure myself everything will be ok? Or will it?

Thank you for reading. Even if you just rolled your eyes through the entire post, I still thank you for reading this rant.


  • There’s nothing that says you can’t start a company while having a family. Pursue both things with equal passion.

    Most succesfull startups ar founded by people in thirties and forties and fiftiea. Your best years are still ahead.

  • I suspect many feel the way you do. It’s easier to do a start-up with wide-eyed innocence. Naivety turns out to be a good substitute for courage.

    It’s possible to do a startup and start a family at the same time, if you prioritize ruthlessly. It’s OK to work only 20 hours a week, as long as you’ve got a laser focus on your objectives during those hours. Working 80 hours a week is not a requirement for success, and it will put you on the fast lane to burn-out #3. This means you’ve got to be very strategic from this point forward, or your chances will be slim-to-none.

    Forget everything you think you know about startups and figure out what will give you the greatest odds of success given your specific circumstances and skillset. This won’t be easy, but it’s a prerequisite.

    The truth is you can’t afford to make many more big mistakes. You can’t afford any more burn-outs or wasted years in bad jobs. Life doesn’t automatically turn out OK, and most of us squander the few great opportunities we have. I can’t really offer you any assurances. You’re in a tough spot. You have my sympathy.

    On the bright side: you’re still young, educated, and (hopefully) healthy which means anything is still possible.

  • I’m a female startup founder in my late twenties.

    I can’t tell you what the future holds or compare your life to mine to make a decision, but ask you to do the following: picture yourself at the end of your life, looking back will you regret not taking the leap or be content? You only live once so dig deep on this one. What do you envision your life looks like looking back that would make you happy?

    Good luck with everything!

  • In the pursuit of “success,” we have a tendency to push aside the things that bring us joy. You may end up in joyless success, and it wolnt feel like success at all, but just another failure. I can attest to that.

  • In random order :

    Health

    Economic / professional success

    Personal relationships

    Spiritual/philosophical/values.

    All of us have needs and ambitions in all four quadrants. Just make sure you work every year towards your goals in each of these quadrants. Ignoring any quadrant for far too long is detrimental. Also one doesn’t get much satisfaction to exceed in one quadrant at the cost of the other.

    When times are low in one area , others would give you comfort.

    Paint your own unique picture.

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