Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#61

Post by tannerc » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:34 PM UTC

tannerc wrote: post #24

Not "never again" but "for a while" the option is there for me. For those interested: > How did you do it? I've spent the past several years building small products, including a blog and various apps. My latest iPad app made it to the #3 most popular position and has brought in enough money where I wouldn't have to work for quite a while. Though it should be noted part of that is due to the fact I've lowered all my b…

On a related note to my last paragraph, I just stumbled on this quote from David Foster Wallace and found it remarkably relevant:

"I think somehow the culture has taught us or we've allowed the culture to teach us that the point of living is to get as much as you can and experience as much pleasure as you can, and that the implicit promise is that will make you happy. I know that's almost offensively simplistic, but the effects of it aren't simplistic at all."

Source: http://radioopensource.org/david-foster-wallace-chris-lydon/

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#62

Post by iretired » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:35 PM UTC

nols wrote: post #53

iretired wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[Thanks, japhyr, for pointing that out although we obviously disagree] Actually, I've already figured that out. This guy is going to be my friend for the rest of my life even though I've only known him for a year. Several times it's happened that we both make excuses to ditch our respective girlfriends to just hang out alone together, drink wine and talk about life. Women have almost no intellectual curiosity. It is…

The Red Pill is leaking onto HN now? Damn

The blue pill runs deep in HN. It's just the personality of nerds to be white knights. There are always a minority that have taken http://www.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#63

Post by chdir » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:35 PM UTC

Intriguing choice of topic. For visitors of this thread, to read about the prequel to these lives, try "Founders at work"

http://www.amazon.com/Founders-Work-Stories-Startups-Early-e...

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#64

Post by freshhawk » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:36 PM UTC

japhyr wrote: post #45

[deleted] wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

I think you posted under a throwaway, and then replied with your actual account. > Women have almost no intellectual curiosity. It is just how they are wired. If you want to have great conversations about anything meaningful, you must find a man. I hope you someday learn to see women in a little better light.

I doubt he will, he spends his time buying young attractive women's time and clubbing with other douchey status chasers. It's very important that the bouncer at a club recognizes him.

He seems completely unaware that calling anyone out on their lack of intellectual curiosity and "conversations about anything meaningful" is hilariously ironic.

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#65

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:37 PM UTC

ajlburke wrote: post #58

You know, this whole "wow, what's it like to win the lottery?!" attitude is what makes the startup world so destructive and, I'll say it, exploitative. Yes, live an intense life building something cool - but don't forget that most startups fail, and even the ones that succeed often end up having most of their money go to investors and partners rather than the founders and builders. Also, as other commenters here have…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#66

Post by guynamedloren » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:38 PM UTC

haptiK wrote: post #52

diego wrote: post #18

Yes. I sold IndexTank to LinkedIn among other things. It was a gradual process for me that started with the first dot-com boom. It wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. I was 41. Cashing out stock from public companies I've been at, selling consulting services before building IndexTank, selling IndexTank. I don't think there is such a thing as overall happiness. I do live in the present more than I used t…

Hi Diego, Could you elaborate more on the cashing out of stock from public companies point? You sold IndexTank for 1.6 million dollars. I don't really consider that "never work again rich" in this day in age. Were the sales of your stock significant?

I think you misread.. it looks like the $1.6 million is how much was raised in the seed round:

http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/indextank

The acquisition would be much more than that.

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#67

Post by japhyr » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:42 PM UTC

No.

But I found a pretty good approach to making a satisfying life without having to "make it rich". In my twenties, I moved to the part of the world where I most enjoyed vacationing, and built my life there. Now every day on my way to work, I look around and couldn't be happier with where I am. Even on the hard days, I have almost everything I really want in life pretty close by, and that pretty consistently helps me keep things in perspective.

Life isn't perfect here, and I did have to move pretty far from most of my family, but place is as important to me as people. If I lived in the wrong part of the world, I'd be pretty miserable and I wouldn't be very good to be around anyway.

I still hope to make enough money to not have to work, but in the mean time, and if it never happens, I will be plenty happy all my life.

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#68

Post by msandford » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:47 PM UTC

japhyr wrote: post #45

[deleted] wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

I think you posted under a throwaway, and then replied with your actual account. > Women have almost no intellectual curiosity. It is just how they are wired. If you want to have great conversations about anything meaningful, you must find a man. I hope you someday learn to see women in a little better light.

He's just got a big case of bias that he can't see in himself. He is the one who picks young, attractive girls who can by virtue of their looks get along quite nicely in life without having to learn how the rest of the world works. How many men would choose to not be particularly interested in intellectual pursuits if they could live comfortably being taken care of by rich women?

I have found that it's harder to meet intellectually curious women than men. I don't know if that's because there are fewer of them than men on a percentage basis, or because they are more willing or effective hiding their intellectual curiosity than men.

Disclaimer: I am well outside of SF. I spent "adult" years in Florida and Texas. This is my observation of the demographics I have experienced.

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#69

Post by jbernier » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:50 PM UTC

iretired wrote: post #34

I feel obliged to comment, although not with my normal HN username. I’m 41. I retired two years ago at the age of 39. I spent 18 years working in Silicon Valley at four different companies of various sizes. At 29 I was promoted to a first-level manager. Two of the companies I worked for were successful while I was there, although not spectacularly so. Mostly I minimized my costs. For the last five years of my career,…

Living the dream man. You basically just described my ideal life. Hopefully I'll get there someday.

Re: Ask HN: Did you get "never have to work again rich" through software?

#70

Post by gregschlom » Wed, Jul 02, 2014, 5:50 PM UTC

personlurking wrote: post #55

capisce wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How easy is it to find places to rent is these locations? Through Airbnb and such it seems you end up paying quite a high monthly rent.

As someone more or less in the OPs situation (greg), you stay in a hostel for a few days while looking at local ads or knocking on doors. If someone doesn't have a room or apt, they likely will take you to a neighbor who does. I've lived for many, many months on what people back home (US) spend on food per month. To do this, you might have to lower standards a little and increase the importance of having new experien…

exactly what I do :)