Startups are really hard. Why not do a startup. Paul Graham and Marc Andreessen give 10+ reasons each, largely different. Paul Graham link: Young, Inexperienced, Not Determined, Not Smart, Knows nothing about business, No cofounder, no idea, No room for more startups, Family to support, Independently wealthy, Not ready for commitment, Need for structure, Fear of uncertainty, Don’t realize what you are avoiding, Parents want you to be a doctor; a job is a default. Marc Andreessen link. Watch Death of a Salesman and then Glengarry Glen Ross. Startup puts you on an emotional rollercoaster unlike anything you have ever experienced, Absolutely nothing happens unless you make it happen, You get told no -- a lot, Hiring is a huge pain in the ass, At some point, you're going to have to hire executives, The hours, It's really easy for the culture of a startup to go sideways, There are lots of X factors that can come along and whup you right upside the head, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about them, Figuring out what product to build, Building product Taking it to market, Standing out from the crowd