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Comment by stevenjgarner | Hacker News Reader

With such a clear vision of the "company I want to be a part of", maybe you should walk the walk and establish such a company? Perhaps then you will find out that what actually floats to the top is what we've got, rather than what we want. Or perhaps you will be the next GOAT.

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Ouch. Unfortunately I don't think I will.

I'll probably always be hired by someone else to build a shared vision and aspire to do it as well as I possibly can :)

I didn't mean that to be demeaning at all. I seriously urge you to implement that vision even as a bootstrapped side project to your main gig. If you want to "build something (you're) proud to sign (your) name on", chances are whatever you build will display that authenticity, which will either resonate with customers or not. People love authenticity, perhaps customers not so much. The market can be brutal and just because something is "better" or more genuine does not necessarily equate to revenue. You have already started a big part of your story, explaining why your vision is "better". Go ahead and implement something incorporating that vision, explaining its advantages to the market. At the end of the day, you will at the very least feel true to your self. A job may not give you that.

Haha, I understand.

I actually agree with the sentiment in your first comment. These aren't what defines if a company is successful. A good experience, care and craftsmanship are important, but not company defining.

I have decided for myself that most company defining areas are not where I want to gain expertise in (focused user research, finding PMF, funding, GTM, sales, marketing, etc) - I'm passionate about tech and am intentional about excellence in this area.

Which is why I will probably never establish a company. But of course I can lead a team to do good technical work and would like coworkers who do the same. One can dream ;)

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