Another interesting article from Michael Arrington today. Startups are hard. So work more, cry less, and quit all the whining.

The article gave a number of examples of people talking about how hard they work. It’s something that everyone does, they work hard, they tell people about it. Woe is my life.

At the end of the article he writes:

“Work hard. Cry less. And realize you’re part of history.”

What a great phrase for any startup entrepreneur.

Startups are tough, if they weren’t then everyone would be doing one. Competition couldn’t be higher, there is always someone ready to copy your latest feature or implement the idea you just had in the shower.

Satisfaction is something that everyone craves in their profession. Depression is something that effects everyone at some point in their lives.

Write up a list of things that you want to achieve by the end of the day and do it. If you don’t get through them all then you need to take a long look at how you are estimating your time. Being a better judge of how long something will take comes with experience, the more you get the easier it becomes.

I often look back at my time in China working for a Chinese software company. 16 hour days were part of the norm. There was such an abundance of talent, naturally once a developer burned out he was replaced with the next person in line, with another 10 people ready to take their place. This was the type of place where even after a 16 hour shift you would be expected to be at your cubicle at 8.30am, checked in the system and ready for the days work. While the pressure was similar to a startup environment it had none of the incentives.

This time last year I admit that I was depressed. I had thrown myself head first into a hobby startup which took up any free time I had on hand. Often coding up ideas till 4 in the morning only to get up for work at 7am the next day. As you can expect, burnout came and it came hard. My relationship with my future wife deteriotated. I’m glad to say she stuck around and for that I will always be thankful.

These days I work on projects in a much more methodical manner. I question why a certain feature is needed much more often. I take each day as it comes with a goal to be performed every single day. Win small, win often and above all ship regularly. Your health and satisfaction will improve.

While being a part of history is great, make sure that enjoy your life. You only get one.