First startup / cold feet. Any advice ?
moe: Did anyone else here feel the same way when starting their first company?Yes. I'd go on a limb and say that everybody feels that way when starting their first company. I'm on it right now and feeling it most certainly.I convince myself by reminding me that I believe in the business model and in my skills, I honestly think I can pull it off.In the beginning make sure you believe in your thing and try to be realistic about your planning. Base everything on pessimistic assumptions. How long will it take you to launch something, how long until you can realistically expect your first $1 of income?  What unknowns are there and how will you deal with them?  Write down your most important figures, juggle them around in excel, make sure to have a good feeling for what you're getting yourself into. If the figures say you can't do it then re-think your idea. If the figures say you can do it then try again with more pessimistic assumptions. A good business model looks promising even under most pessimistic assumptions. You definately want one that's robust enough to still work even when many factors turn out less than ideal.Also make sure to realize that it will be much harder than you can possibly imagine. You definately need persistence. Easily more of that than you've ever needed before in your life. Stuff will go wrong, people will tell you that your idea sucks, work will overwhelm you. Be prepared to handle that without losing focus. Never panic. Don't torn yourself apart by trying to do everything at once.If you think you have enough discipline to manage that then, by all means, do it. Remember you don't have much to lose. You can stop at any time and the expiriences you gained will help you either way.