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Comment by holograham | Hacker News Reader

Even college grads can follow some of this advice. Come out of school ladened with debt is no picnic and sure going straight to a startup sure seems like a sexy idea but even Paul Graham admits most startups fail. Sure valuable experience, and new contacts help ease that but there are alternatives. I would prefer to go into business for myself once I am debt free and on solid footing (not waiting because I am scared....well I am a little)

Not to mention that above average coders can make some good salaries.

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Not to mention students still in college. Being a fulltime student is akin to being a fulltime employee, with or without a spouse. Add in undergrad research still more time is taken up.

It's all about priorities. You have to allocate your time wisely and remove activities that aren't centrally valuable.

But are you really going to be able to walk away from a comfortable life and good salary some years down the road to try something risky? The longer you get used to having disposable income and the freedom to do whatever you want outside of 9-5 knowing you'll have a job to go back to tomorrow, the less likely you'll be willing to take the plunge.

I landed a good job right out of school. I soon after (i.e. a few months) left that job to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams because it would have been many times more difficult to leave after being comfortably employed for a few years and fully out of debt.

I'm not saying this scenario never happens, because clearly it does. But there's a reason the stereotypical startup founder is a 20 something fresh out of school or a drop out living on Ramen.

EDIT: grammar

On the other hand, having substantial job experience in an industry helps you identify various pain points and can give you the perspective and wisdom you need to pursue your own venture. If I were a potential customer I would trust a 15-year veteran over a young and inexperienced person when they're selling their "solution" to my problem.

The common stereotype of an entrepreneur is the 20 something living on Ramen, but maybe that's because the 20 somethings are more likely to blog/tweet/otherwise publicly discuss their experience? Here's one of several articles I've seen that indicate the stereotype may be completely wrong: http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/the-average-age-of-an-en...

Agree with this, I think their would be more people that regretted not doing a start up straight out of uni than their would be people in start ups regretting not going into work.

If you don't have a great deal yet you have everything to gain and little to lose.

I went straight from school to a startup. I think there was two weeks in between. It was the start of being in an incubation program, though, so I at least had a tiny amount of cash to pay my bills.

I wouldn't have been able to stand going into the regular workforce.

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