This post actually makes me feel kind of grateful. I have kept my day job while working on my startup and am still single. I'm 27 & I work from home. The upside is that I have a place to live and work comfortably, I'm not broke and I can support my "startup habit". The downside is that I never get much sleep, my girlfriend hates it, almost everyone I know says that I should quit my startup and get married like a normal person, my student debt isn't going anytime soon, and the stress of that and everything else never seems to subside much these days.
Overall though, I feel like the chips are up for me right now. I've been in a spot once or twice in the past where I felt pretty desperate and depressed like you have mentioned. There's few things worse than professional failure with conveniently ill-timed personal trials happing simultaneously.
Luckily, this time around I've prepared a little more for the hard times that might soon come due to professional trials. Also, my past hardships have helped me prepare better mentally, knowing that I've pulled myself out of slumps before and that I will do it again when the chips are down.
I guess my point is, keep at it and remember that you're going to make something amazing. I always tell myself that I'm here to "create epic shit". It helps restore my ambition and makes me giggle a little. Maybe I'll have to say it more often if and when I take the startup full-time...
> The downside is that I never get much sleep, my girlfriend hates it, almost everyone I know says that I should quit my startup and get married like a normal person
Be careful in your long term thinking with your girlfriend. I've seen a lot of guys work like crazy while their girlfriend doesn't like it, and the guy thinks, "Well, if this pays off she'll understand." In my experience - not true.
People have different temperaments, and if she dislikes risk or wants a more regular amount of time and affection, that's unlikely to change and money doesn't fix the problems there. The best couples for entrepreneurship are ones where both guy and girl are excited by the process of working hard, striving for the impossible, putting in long hours, and can handle the emotional burden and strife that comes with that. If your girlfriend doesn't have the temperament and you do, money likely won't solve that later.
I hate my husband's workaholic tendencies and I agree and disagree to this post. On the one hand, no it never does go away even if it pays off. On the other hand, that's not necessarily a sign that you shouldn't be with her. There may be other reasons, but wouldn't you rather be with someone who wants to spend more time with you rather than less? I've seen relationships like the latter and they were no spring picnic either.
Overall though, I feel like the chips are up for me right now. I've been in a spot once or twice in the past where I felt pretty desperate and depressed like you have mentioned. There's few things worse than professional failure with conveniently ill-timed personal trials happing simultaneously.
Luckily, this time around I've prepared a little more for the hard times that might soon come due to professional trials. Also, my past hardships have helped me prepare better mentally, knowing that I've pulled myself out of slumps before and that I will do it again when the chips are down.
I guess my point is, keep at it and remember that you're going to make something amazing. I always tell myself that I'm here to "create epic shit". It helps restore my ambition and makes me giggle a little. Maybe I'll have to say it more often if and when I take the startup full-time...