How do you know if your idea is IT?

Question

When starting a startup, you are often plagued with doubts, &ldquo;Am I making the right move?&rdquo;, etc.How do you know if you are doing the right thing or wasting a lot of time, when you could have just take a FAANG job and live a comfortable life?

dusted · Accepted Answer

You won't ever know if it is "it" before after it's become "it".
Before success, anything is a calculated risk, and the success depends as much on your hard work and dedication and BELIEF in the idea, as it does in whether that belief is actually correct, and, since no one has done it before, it is unknown.
Comfortable life is whatever makes you comfortable, be it working hard on something you want to try, or working at a company and be relatively certain of a good income.

codegeek · Answer

Well, you don't. That's the point of a startup. If you want guarantees, then you are definitely better off working a high paying job.

pkrotich · Answer

Ideas are great but can you make it a product that someone is willing to pay for?
Lean startup methodologies might be useful in that regard.
As for the comfortable life - if that’s your goal then don’t do startups. You’ll quit 9-5 to work 24/7 with no guarantee… you only hear about those who crossed the chasm, it’s a selection bias that make most people have romanticized view of startups.

d--b · Answer

Well, you will never know until you succeed or give up.

mikewarot · Answer

Evidence suggests that each paper, project, startup, etc. is a lottery ticket you purchase with your time and effort. The more times you buy these tickets, the more likely, in aggregate, you are to succeed.Evidence also suggests that careful contemplating (and getting competent feedback) what worked/didn't work, can help your next ticket be slightly more lucky than the last as you build new skills.