In a world where 'working on a startup' has become such a prevalent and socially accepted line on most of our biographies, we often forget to really question why we're risking everything in this pursuit.
For this week's Startup Edition, I wanted to ask exactly that question: "Why are you working on your startup?"
When Ryan sent out this question last week, he also added more context to it:
"I'd love to hear why. Out of ALL the things you could be doing, why did you chose your startup. What are you trying to achieve? Why have you chosen this path? Are there other career choices or startups you decided against?"
This is why I'm working on PublicBeta today:
I'm scared of the alternative; that alternative being working for someone else and having a boss.
I'd consider myself mostly unemployable after having only spent 2 months in a corporate gig, before founding and working on WooThemes for the last 6 years.
I don't like being labeled or put into boxes. Working on something that I can call my own, means I have the opportunity to create my own better / bigger / different box.
I enjoy the freedom that I get in working that way that I want to work. This includes when I work, how I work and what I work on.
I love having the responsibility that is associated with being a founder. I have a responsibility to my family, my team and our customers. That's the kind of responsibility that helps we drive forward.
I love the adrenaline and the ever-changing environment which inherently requires that I adapt (and sometimes, reinvent myself) on a daily and a weekly basis.
Passion is more important than money to me. And with PublicBeta, I hope to make a dent in the universe. Even if it is only a little one.
I'm a creator and after learning so much with WooThemes in the last 6 years, I wanted a blank canvas to start over all again. I want to make new mistakes and learn new things.
The above list obviously sounds like something that is meant to give you the warm fuzzies. And it doesn't dither too much from the hype around working on startups at the moment.
The one thing I know all too well, is that all of those reasons (for pursuing something which I absolutely and obviously love), comes at a cost.
That is a big part of why I'm working on PublicBeta: I'm working on something that scratches my own itch and something that will make this startup rollercoaster more bearable.
But even with all it's downs, the above list is beyond being enough reason for me to continue as-is.
"PublicBeta, I choose you!"