Amir Khella on what he wishes someone had told him 4 years ago:
It wasn't until I decided to launch my own startup that I realized that nothing I've read, watched or attended really prepared me for it. And I mean it. Absolutely NOTHING. I had forgotten most of what I've learned, and what I remembered didn't apply much to my situation. I've been snacking on other people's experiences and success, and like good junk food, it made me feel satisfied. Sorry to be a party pooper, but that's reality.
If you're going to spend time reading startup articles, you need a method to ensure that you don't waste all that time by forgetting everything you've read right away.
I stopped reading startup news and blogs for few weeks, and I realized I didn't miss anything related to my products. It didn't matter who got funded, who got acquired, or why Internet Explorer was losing market share against Google Chrome. The only WHOs I care about are the customers, and the only WHATs I focus on are their needs and desires, and how to best deliver value to them.
Certainly, reading news, punditry, and other typical HN fare does not help you start a business. However, there are some genuinely useful articles out there. Those are the ones I try to link to (and publish) on this blog: the stuff that will make a difference to your startup. Can it prepare you? Probably not, much like nothing can really prepare you for bungee jumping. But it can certainly help.
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