Ask HN: Do you have more ideas from running your own company?

2 pointsby gregpilling16 anni fa1 comments

I was just reading this essay http://www.paulgraham.com/boss.html and had a question about this quote from it:

"An obstacle downstream propagates upstream. If you're not allowed to implement new ideas, you stop having them. And vice versa: when you can do whatever you want, you have more ideas about what to do. So working for yourself makes your brain more powerful in the same way a low-restriction exhaust system makes an engine more powerful."

I was wondering if this was actually true? For a little perspective, I am 41 and have been self-employed since I was 20 (I am not a programmer), and I have ideas constantly. There are several books filled around my house with notes on business ideas, and now I have a secret Posterous account I email whenever the next idea strikes. My wife finds great humor in this - sometimes I will have the same brilliant idea more than once - 'You thought of that one two years ago dear' will be her response. So to me, ideas come constantly like a raging river. I read posts by others, and they seem to have problems coming up with ANY ideas at all. So the question is this:

Do you think being self-employed helps with idea creation or not?

1 comments

relm8616 anni fa

I think not being stuck in a traditional corporate job helps. Every time I have worked for large organizations new ideas were looked down upon and were impossible to implement while working for yourself you can do whatever you want so it leads you to the freedom to create more ideas.