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Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

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Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#261
post #85

I bit the bullet and released Gorgonia ( https://github.com/chewxy/gorgonia ) to the wild. I braced for harsh critiques but it turns out releasing open source software is like running a startup: 90% of the time, nobody cares. Nobody uses it.

Sounds so sad! Dont worry it takes time. You hit a break and you will have more users than you will be able to manage.

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#262

Creating a budget and sticking to it. Although it sounds like a burden, it actually freed me from a lot of stress. I broke out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, allowing me to invest and even set up emergency funds that helped pay off an auto accident I got into. Most importantly though, I've gained a lot of self-confidence. If I got fired or laid off today, the last thing I'd have to worry about is paying my bills…

I've tried to do this for years but never been able to figure out how it works in practice. My wife and I have settled on just looking at our accounts every week and seeing that we have enough buffer, but I really feel like there is some skill that is missing.

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#263
I've been using Blogger to annotate James Joyce's Ulysses, with an emphasis on linking all the many freely-available online resources. But there's so many that pagesize becomes problematic-- not load time, just requiring readers to scroll through many screens of information that may or may not interest them. So my new plan is to classify and summarize individual notes, and only gradually reveal them by request: http://ulyssespages.blogspot.com/2016/12/button-test.html

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#265
2016 was awful, just awful. My parent's home burned down (luckily they had good insurance), my startup failed (no VC investment in sight, no bank would give us a loan, my co-founders went separate ways, etc) and now with 27 years I had to find a "real job" (was in academia before the startup) in another city where I have to pay a huge rent for a shitty apartment. Then, two days ago, the consulting firm where I working just gave me notice that they can't pay salaries to everyone in January so the last two guys getting in have to go. Nice xmas gift...

Now I don't know what to do, it's so hard to find a job in this country. I'm taking MOOCs about data science and python because there are so many job listings for such positions but who will hire a forensic anthropologist? I was lucky enough to get into this job and now there's nothing for me in the horizon.

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#266
I don't know about greatest accomplishment.

I'm still alive and I think this year I would have made $1,000.00 at most as a freelance web developer. I should add I was working full time as a factory worker for a bit(for the most part till I became unemployed again).

I was working at a factory. Maybe if I'm lucky I get hired at a tech position.

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#267

Creating a budget and sticking to it. Although it sounds like a burden, it actually freed me from a lot of stress. I broke out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, allowing me to invest and even set up emergency funds that helped pay off an auto accident I got into. Most importantly though, I've gained a lot of self-confidence. If I got fired or laid off today, the last thing I'd have to worry about is paying my bills…

I've tried to do this for years but never been able to figure out how it works in practice. My wife and I have settled on just looking at our accounts every week and seeing that we have enough buffer, but I really feel like there is some skill that is missing.

It wasn't until I really grokked YNAB's methodology[1] that I got out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, saved up for an emergency fund, and begun seriously paying off school loans. Their 4 rules and their app have changed my financial life. Like atarian said, having a budget really does free you.

[1]: https://www.youneedabudget.com/method/

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#268
Campaigning for Brexit - learnt that no one is objective, everyone interprets information through their preconceptions.

Also finished my Masters and got a remote job at an awesome startup. Learnt to be less afraid of failure - better to apply to as many universities/jobs as practical and then accept the best offer. Wish I realized this a few years back.

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#269
post #235

Started a company from concept stage on a minimal budget, achieved functional UX walkthrough, team build-out, office space acquisition and fit-out, lots of research, multiple hardware iterations, multiple hardware prototype iterations, acquired multiple interested investors willing to commit funds exceeding total capital investment to date. Learned mostly in the areas of mechanical engineering, robotics, manufacturin…

That sounds very interesting. Care to share what you're working on?

http://8-food.com/ - network of wholly owned, automated food preparation and retail service locations. Basically, robot chefs inside vending machines initially targeted at mainland China that produce custom food from fresh ingredients, the logistical system behind it and customer experience in front.

PS. I really liked your "VR Meditation app" idea, maybe a little ahead of its time but I am sure that it would work well with those brainwave sensor things that keep almost coming out...

Re: Ask HN: What was your greatest accomplishment in 2016?

#270

Nothing. 2016 was another miserable year filled with 24/7 intrusive/harassing/distressing thoughts and physical pain/discomfort that left me unable to do anything but sit around being harassed. I'll be 31 soon, and thus far have spent the last 6+ years sitting around in this state unable to do anything, work, think, etc. Others say it's some sort of mental illness, but I say I'm a Targeted Individual (ie, someone did…

You are targeted.
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