Andrew Lacy

That was finally my graduation from Coding Academy, jumping online and trying to fix a website when I couldn't get in touch with anyone because probably all their friends and family were telling them, don't answer the call from the boss. He's trying to get you to work too hard. So that was my sort of French experience. In a lot of ways back then, much harder to build a startup over there.

That was finally my graduation from Coding Academy, jumping online and trying to fix a website when I couldn't get in touch with anyone because probably all their friends and family were telling them, don't answer the call from the boss. He's trying to get you to work too hard. So that was my sort of French experience. In a lot of ways back then, much harder to build a startup over there.

But it was a fun experience to do it in the context of a different culture.

But it was a fun experience to do it in the context of a different culture.

And I don't believe that that's just because we are, I mean, we probably are those type of people, but it's becoming a more and more unpopular thing to say. But building a startup is really hard. And it's hard in the sense that you often have a limited amount of time and money to reach a milestone. And you're competing against companies that have way more resource than you do.

And I don't believe that that's just because we are, I mean, we probably are those type of people, but it's becoming a more and more unpopular thing to say. But building a startup is really hard. And it's hard in the sense that you often have a limited amount of time and money to reach a milestone. And you're competing against companies that have way more resource than you do.

And so like really the only... benefit that you have is to move fast. That's the only way that you can really thread that needle. And moving fast implies working really hard. And people these days, I think, are looking for a way to do entrepreneurship somehow while maintaining a level of balance. If they can do it, they're a better entrepreneur than I am. I think it's really difficult.

And so like really the only... benefit that you have is to move fast. That's the only way that you can really thread that needle. And moving fast implies working really hard. And people these days, I think, are looking for a way to do entrepreneurship somehow while maintaining a level of balance. If they can do it, they're a better entrepreneur than I am. I think it's really difficult.

I try and find balance over like my long term, work really hard for five years and take two years off. And the challenge is with different cultures, some cultures are more open and excited about you making career shifts and reinventing yourself. But that's sort of at this macro level. At the sort of more micro level, we face so much pressure from the society that we're in.

I try and find balance over like my long term, work really hard for five years and take two years off. And the challenge is with different cultures, some cultures are more open and excited about you making career shifts and reinventing yourself. But that's sort of at this macro level. At the sort of more micro level, we face so much pressure from the society that we're in.

There are certain cultures out there. If you're working too late, all your friends who are out having beers or drinking and they're like, oh, look at you, you're stupid. Why would you do that? If you're the CEO, maybe you get more of a pass. But if you're working for the CEO, let's say you're an engineer, they're taking advantage of you.

There are certain cultures out there. If you're working too late, all your friends who are out having beers or drinking and they're like, oh, look at you, you're stupid. Why would you do that? If you're the CEO, maybe you get more of a pass. But if you're working for the CEO, let's say you're an engineer, they're taking advantage of you.

Or it's your mother or your parents that are like, oh, you're working too hard. Why would you do this? You're going to kill yourself. And that sort of slowly erodes that entrepreneurial, I think, passion and drive. My thought process has been always being an entrepreneur is very, very difficult.

Or it's your mother or your parents that are like, oh, you're working too hard. Why would you do this? You're going to kill yourself. And that sort of slowly erodes that entrepreneurial, I think, passion and drive. My thought process has been always being an entrepreneur is very, very difficult.

Be very aware and conscious of all the ways in which you might handicap yourself and your potential for success. And one of those might be the people that you surround yourself with or the location that you decide to build a company or the type of company you build. And I just think this is sort of Olympic sports.

Be very aware and conscious of all the ways in which you might handicap yourself and your potential for success. And one of those might be the people that you surround yourself with or the location that you decide to build a company or the type of company you build. And I just think this is sort of Olympic sports.

You really need to have the least amount of handicap possible if you want to maximize your chances to change the world.

You really need to have the least amount of handicap possible if you want to maximize your chances to change the world.

Yeah, and the stories that you see, the dramatizations of these startups, I think, doesn't do the field a lot of service because they do make it look easy. Like the formula for success is dropping out of high school or college and... going into a garage with three or four people and having some pizza and then shipping a product the next week.

Yeah, and the stories that you see, the dramatizations of these startups, I think, doesn't do the field a lot of service because they do make it look easy. Like the formula for success is dropping out of high school or college and... going into a garage with three or four people and having some pizza and then shipping a product the next week.