Comment by phatbyte | Hacker News Reader

Comment by phatbyte | Hacker News Reader

I advice everyone on HN to view this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nif01WZ9aI

Maybe this won't change anything, but there's more in life than just getting funded with millions of dollars. I feel pretty bad for people who get depressed or worse because they didin't made it in SV...that's so superficial about life and things in general. Do we all really need millions of dollars and IPO to be happy and be considered "successful" ? What does that even mean ?

Do what you love, that's my advice. My girlfriend is a nurse and when people are in their dead bed, she said that the thing most people regret is not doing what they loved, spend time with their families, going on trip around the world. And that hospital is used mostly by high class people, with lots of money.

My only regret on my dead bed is going to be to have make the world progress faster than I could have.

I've writing technical books helping to share knowledge and that's the one thing I feel the most proud about. I won't regret having brought my contribution to sharing knowledge.

I love my family, but I also love my work. I love R&D. I love trying to create something that shall help people. I'll never ever have any regret about moving to California (not there anymore) and worked there like crazy for someone else's startup.

Then "success" has never been measured only by money: there are very succesful non-profit organization out there. But people are typically working hard to make them work too.

It's not about "making an IPO" or "getting rich". It's about "making a difference".

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

I got nothing against people who pursue that, I speak against myself on my first post. I also want to create something that makes a difference, I want to generate value and create something meaningful for other. But I would never replace my dream with all the other things I love in life. In the end the balance will always be negative for me.

With this said, It doesn't mean I aim low on things I want to achieve, I just thing balance is the correct path to have in life.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com