Sure Sign You Are Not An Entrepreneur #1

"I need the stock to go up 30%, and then I need a guaranteed home run startup, preferably in the city (SF)"

A friend who shall remain nameless told me this a while back when we were having drinks with friends.  In spite of the fact that he was an early employee of a large, very successful public Internet company, he was bemoaning the fact that he hadn't sold his options in said company when the price was significantly higher.

If this thought has ever crossed your mind, this is a sure sign you are not an entrepreneur.

Our VC backers often comment that  "not everyone can afford to join a startup," whether it is for financial, emotional or other reasons.  This is a perfect example for a few reasons: 

• "I need the stock to go up 30%": here's a news flash: this might take a while.  Startup opportunities don't wait forever, and if the market (or your current employer) goes up by that substantial a margin, you better believe that the startup you were thinking about joining has either (a) been acquired, (b) filled the position in the meantime, or (c) raised a huge round of VC funding, and that big VP title they were begging you to take has now morphed into a Director role (and please submit your resume for consideration given all the potential candidates in the mix ...)
• "I need a guaranteed home run startup": um, yeah.  Everybody's knows at least a half-dozen of these companies, right?  If in doubt, see the title of this blog post.
• "preferably in the city": at least you are being realistic in your job search ...