Ask HN: Entrepreneurs, how long did it take you to succeed?

Recorded: May 28, 2026, 9:03 p.m.

Original

Summarized

wewewedxfgdf 2 minutes ago | next [–]
You have to define succeed.I have had small business success in that it gave me and a small number of other people a really good ordinary income for 20 years.I have never had a breakout success that accelerates to something much bigger than that, despite trying for a very long time.replybckr 2 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
Still haven’t succeeded! I’m on my 8th business since being a teenager. I have lost quite a bit of money. I’ve earned some through consulting. I think for those of use for whom it doesn’t come easy or natural (and maybe, for everyone) you have to identify as an entrepreneur—wanting and even trying isn’t enough. Then let go of all outcomes. Then just move forward every day.But I haven’t succeeded yet, so I might not be giving the best advice!replyfellowniusmonk 1 minute ago | prev [–]
Overnight with a really solid idea with good timing where I understood the space.The same idea with bad timing (launch just prior to covid), never because I'm not going to spend my own money on getting it off the ground again post covid.I've got 3 things working now that are 10 years in the making if they ever succeed.I tinker. Ideas aren't actually worthless like so many people say but the devil is in the time/space/implementation details.I think the slowdown with ycombinator successea is exactly because they went hard in choosing teams over ideas when the ideas and their framing are in fact reflective of the teams.reply

The discussion regarding the timeframe for entrepreneurial success highlights the subjective nature of the definition of success and the significant challenges involved in the journey. One participant defined success in terms of achieving modest, sustained results, noting that their personal success involved establishing a small business that provided a good ordinary income for two decades, rather than achieving a massive, accelerating breakout success.

Another perspective emphasized the ongoing struggle, describing a journey that has involved launching eight businesses since adolescence and experiencing financial losses despite earning some revenue through consulting. This experience suggests that merely wanting or attempting to be an entrepreneur is insufficient; true navigation requires setting outcomes aside and maintaining consistent, daily forward momentum.

A central theme emerging from the responses concerns the interplay between an idea and its execution, specifically emphasizing the critical role of timing and implementation. One comment suggested that success is largely determined by having a solid idea coupled with opportune timing, contrasting this with the experience of a similar idea failing due to poor timing, such as launching a venture just before the COVID-19 pandemic. This point indicates that external factors and timing are as crucial as the initial conceptualization.

Furthermore, the importance of continuous refinement is stressed, as one contributor noted that ideas themselves are not inherently worthless, but their realization hinges on the specific time, space, and implementation details. This implies that the difficulty lies not just in having a concept, but in navigating the practical complexities of putting it into action. The commentary also touched upon the observed slowdown in success rates at organizations like Y Combinator, attributing this potentially to a shift in focus toward selecting strong teams over merely possessing good ideas and framing.