>Just hire an administrator that's competent

The idea that this sort of thing is easy is precisely why most startups fail. Sure the ideas and tech and implementation are hard, but that happens to be what most of us are good at. But guess what? The administration of the business is also hard (harder?).

This is just the inverse thought process of a couple of business students with an app idea for which they plan on outsourcing the programming for $5 an hour. It's a simple app, no problem!

> The idea that this sort of thing is easy is precisely why most startups fail

Most small businesses fail, too, but a small business such as a boutique consulting services company does not have the same risk profile as a startup.

I never said it's easy, but it's certainly not as hard as building a unicorn. The difficulty is commensurate to the risk and the scale, I hope you can appreciate that?

If you don't want to delegate, then the other only alternative is to put up with doing these jobs (marketing & sales, finance & accounting, etc.) since they are not going away regardless of your technical expertise.

It's an undervalued skill to delegate and manage people, even menial ones.

So whilst your point is spot on I've learned (the hard way) that not everybody has the ability to delegate. It's a skill just like any other.

So the solution to people working for a boss and not themselves is to hire people to work for you?

> So the solution to people working for a boss and not themselves is to hire people to work for you

Your comment is not only facetious, but also quite unintelligent.

I was not replying to the idea that "everyone should work for themselves". You've just taken that idea and replied to yourself, not to anything I was saying.

I do apologise, my comment wasn’t really directed at you at all. I was simply lampooning the idea, apparently held by some here, that working for others is an inherently abusive relationship. That employers are exploiters.

That's just called a company my man...no, it's not easy to run, even if everyone involved is competent and you delegate things.

I did not say it was easy to run. I was implying it's the only way to avoid doing marketing and sales, finances and accounting, operations, etc. by yourself since those jobs are never going away.

Also, as astonishing as this may seem to a lot of HNers, most modern economies are built upon SMEs. There are good, normal people working in small businesses all over the world. You could run an operation with half a dozen people and focus on technical delivery and strategic sales (I don't think you can ever delegate high-level sales). This poses its own set of challenges but it really is a middle ground between having to do everything as a sole trader and living stressed out of your tits trying to build a unicorn.