How to tell you are a Real Startup!

This morning I dumped out my keyboard and it got me to thinking…how do I know we are a real startup?

1.) When you flip over your keyboard bits of every meal you’ve had for the last week fall out.

2.) You’ve forgotten what sleep over 3-4 hours per night feels like.

3.) You set yourselves what seems like very realistic deadlines only to find out they probably weren’t and now you are scrambling like madmen/women to make sure it happens and you are good to your word.

4.) You find yourself trying to get everything for free.

5.) You find out if your friends and associates can really keep their word and really believe in you.

6.) You find you like your friends even if they don’t keep their word regarding your startup because you realize they don’t have the same aspirations.

7.) You dream about your business and what it will be like when you succeed.

8.) You dream about coding and victoriously solving tough problems, often with some very strange results (usually you are dreaming at the keyboard and those crumbs are falling off of your shirt and into your keyboard).

9.) You learn to really appreciate the power of caffinated beverages.

10.) You learn that whiteboards have worth.

11.) You learn that time is the most important resource that you have.

12.) Finally, you have great moments of self-doubt (which are terrible) and great moments of optimism (which are great) and without the support of family and friends you would have no one to share it all with.

- Doug