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Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

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Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#81

Here's the better idea. Get a 9 to 5 six figure job. It will be boring, I know. Life sucks like that sometimes. Most of us have one. Next, live like a pauper, saving 60-70+% of that income. Spend your free time doing exactly 3 things 1. working on a side project 2. spending time with your girlfriend. 3. exercise (never count this out, no matter what your life circumstances otherwise) Then just wait 5 more years. You…

The job won't necessarily even be boring. It's possible that you'll find a job working with smart people that you can learn useful things from.

Indeed.

Every place I've worked - small or large - has been fun in one way or another, made me some friends, and taught me things I didn't know going in. I even made a few neat things that made people's lives better along the way.

Yeah - I run my own company now. Because it gives me some other things that I value. But the idea that a normal job is always a terrible boring experience really does depend on the job. Not every employer on the planet is an asshat. Working for other people can be fun.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#82
post #79
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2 counterpoints: 1) Lack of liquidity in "selling products". 2) Personal cash flow issues.

Selling software doesn't have either of these issues.

1) Who are you selling it to? Can you find a buyer instantly? 2) Buying a product or whatever with the aim of selling/flipping it means your money is tied up in your product.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#84
post #71
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You sir, deserve my upvote for making me laugh on HN.

This is a bad comment for Hacker News. We want to optimize for signal/noise ratio. It's good to laugh, and to upvote; reporting that one laughed, and upvoted, not so much.

Not to derail this anymore but:

I've often wondered about that, I know that in reddit and even slashdot these type of comments are lauded even though they add nothing to the dialog people like them, because well, they do do give us another comment to upvote, because you can add one point to the original comment. Still they deal with all that extra chaff by physically minimizing comments that don't get enough likes thus they don't interrupt the flow of conversation as much. HN doesn't have such a feature so I understand why, you're against it, I personally only downvote these type of comments if the user has a history and the comment is >2 words.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#85

Here's the better idea. Get a 9 to 5 six figure job. It will be boring, I know. Life sucks like that sometimes. Most of us have one. Next, live like a pauper, saving 60-70+% of that income. Spend your free time doing exactly 3 things 1. working on a side project 2. spending time with your girlfriend. 3. exercise (never count this out, no matter what your life circumstances otherwise) Then just wait 5 more years. You…

This advice is true gold! 100% agree with it.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#86

Here's the better idea. Get a 9 to 5 six figure job. It will be boring, I know. Life sucks like that sometimes. Most of us have one. Next, live like a pauper, saving 60-70+% of that income. Spend your free time doing exactly 3 things 1. working on a side project 2. spending time with your girlfriend. 3. exercise (never count this out, no matter what your life circumstances otherwise) Then just wait 5 more years. You…

Agree with all of this but a "six figure job". I work in a developed nation and I'm not even close to that!

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#87
post #47

Here's the better idea. Get a 9 to 5 six figure job. It will be boring, I know. Life sucks like that sometimes. Most of us have one. Next, live like a pauper, saving 60-70+% of that income. Spend your free time doing exactly 3 things 1. working on a side project 2. spending time with your girlfriend. 3. exercise (never count this out, no matter what your life circumstances otherwise) Then just wait 5 more years. You…

What about us who live in developing nations and get paid less than USD1000 per month working as a dev? Saving money is hard over here.

Typically devs earn way more than national average in developing nations though? At least in none-EU Eastern Europe.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#88
I recommend working at other startups to get a sense on how people can properly execute ideas. You will also broaden your friend network and make friends with more startup minded people. This will assist you in your own endeavors.l Your problem is you have no one to talk to about business and no real connections. The most successful startups were people working in that culture, branching off, taking a few people with them and starting something great.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#89
post #66
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like he is building skills, thinking, and living life to me. He is failing at his current endeavor, but that is fine. Failure is good, builds character.

Failure is excellent, wish I failed in bigger ways as a child, it gets more expensive as you age. Continuing to work on side projects is a still a sure way to burnout. Side projects of pure personal enrichment (exercise, art, etc) are what repower a person for greatness.

I am glad people like Wozniak chose to work on side projects.

Re: Ask HN: I can't do this anymore, I need help

#90
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about us who live in developing nations and get paid less than USD1000 per month working as a dev? Saving money is hard over here.

In many developing nations you can save a lot even from a $1k salary. If not, dedicate some time to freelancing, either locally or via elance/odesk. Shoot let's say for $40k per hour and do 2-3 hours per evening of that, plus some time on weekends. 20 hours = $400 per week, $1600 per month additional. Do that for a year and you will have money to live on saved funds for 1,5 years.

Depending on which country you live in, taxes can be a real pain and will only leave you with a small bit of your salary. Not to mention transportation could eat up a lot your otherwise "free time" in the evenings. :(

I do agree that freelancing would definitely give some nice extra income but only if you're disciplined enough to find time for it.

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