Are there any rich programmers that don't have to work for a company just writing code that what they want to write?
Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
1–10 of 39 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#2I don't believe that you have to be rich for that. But I get your point. It is not my case unfortunately, but I believe that some can be doing just that.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#3Justin Frankel comes to mind. Though REAPER might be profitable, not sure.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#4(created throwaway for this)
Thank fucking GOD I find myself in this position right now! Through some random luck and the sell of an old startup I am now able to take a few years off and just like think and sleep all day and have inappropriately long lunches.
At present I am writing crypto currency trading shit just for fun, having a blast, and most importantly, not having to worry about any meetings or struggling for progress on the HUGE PILE OF UNIMPORTANT BULLSHIT THAT WAS MY TODO LIST.
A forgot password form? Gimme a fuckin break. A build script??? HAHA.
I recommend it highly.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#5I don't know about rich but I code for my few side-business projects and I decide when to take on more work or when I want to do a project for myself that intrigues me.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#6Im not rich, but my company affords me this luxury - my basic income is taken care of, and I'm free to work on what I want to - https://ramm.science/
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#7I don't know about rich but I code for my few side-business projects and I decide when to take on more work or when I want to do a project for myself that intrigues me.
For sure.
I'm far from rich, but I'm comfortable enough that I can afford to stop caring about my employer's bottom line at quitting time.
I nevertheless spend a lot of my free time coding, and enjoying the freedom of not having to worry about anything I make being profitable. (If you've never written a big complex project alone for your own enjoyment rather than for someone else / as a resume padder, I highly recommend it. It's freeing to write code that you wouldn't want to put on a resume and couldn't sell.)
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#8(created throwaway for this) Thank fucking GOD I find myself in this position right now! Through some random luck and the sell of an old startup I am now able to take a few years off and just like think and sleep all day and have inappropriately long lunches. At present I am writing crypto currency trading shit just for fun, having a blast, and most importantly, not having to worry about any meetings or struggling fo…
You don't really have to be rich (> millionare) to do that. I currently work at a company that was once a freelance project, bought by some huge tech company and I was lucky to be one of the first few developers who joined before it was bought and enjoy every minute of writing code and I still have the energy to work on my own projects every day (I'm quite young, that might explain). It depends how lucky you are and the paths you've taken to be happy and make you not give a fuck.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#9Did this for a year. Saved £30k - enough to go to Asia, but not live like a backpacker, actually live in places and spend roughly working hours on my own projects.
Just need to win the lottery now and do it full time.
Re: Ask HN: Any rich programmers that don't have to work but coding for fun?
#10In a team lead role for a big telco, (build my wealth trough stock trading robots, can retire anytime) and every year cannot get myself to leave and retire early...
Too much fun, interesting projects and great team to lead (also working from home helps a lot)...
Maybe next year :-)