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Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

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Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#31

Post by maxxxxx »

z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

I am glad you wrote this comment. I had a pretty bad feeling when I read the article but I thought maybe I am just too cynical. Most of us can be happy if they ever encounter one good option in life. They never have to deal with choosing between two very good options.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#32

Post by paulpauper »

z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#33

Post by majormajor »

paulpauper wrote: post #32
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

85K in 2004 would cover more than "just rent and other expenses" or I'd eat my hat. It was a different time, with different costs, and a much less inflated market. The author even calls it "about as much as you could possibly earn right out of college."

MIT is obviously about the prestige and academic opportunities more than the money.

If you're saying these aren't great options for a college senior in 2004 you need to talk to a lot of college seniors to get some perspective. Your comment sounds like "this college student hasn't made millions of dollars or groundbreaking research, I don't know why you think he's any different than the average kid."

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#34

Post by appleshore »

z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

You're almost right. But it's also a perfect story and excuse to write a self congratulatory story masquerading as entrepreneurial wisdom.

Being able to do that is kind of the definition of success. Revisionist founder narratives are like the Epics of Giglamesh; personal myths perpetuating egos and archetypes.

I like individualization; unique interesting people who don't just have 1 or 2 opportunities like this in their life but infinite and dimensonless opportunities.

Everyone's life is like this. Every moment is infinite as long as you don't define it solely by Establishment-confining paths like academia or high finance.

Hackers and painters.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#35

Post by wccrawford »

darrenf wrote: post #22
wccrawford wrote: post #4

I couldn't understand how the title related to the advice until I finally looked up the definition of "bargain". "an agreement between two or more parties as to what each party will do for the other." I've never, ever heard anyone use the word "bargain" in the way that the author is doing. I can't deny that it technically fits the definition, but if you want to be understand, I think it's important to use language th…

> I've never, ever heard anyone use the word "bargain" in the way that the author is doing. I can't deny that it technically fits the definition, but if you want to be understand, I think it's important to use language the way other people use it. This surprises me as much as the author's usage did not. Are phrases like "bargaining chip" or "more than they bargained for" not common enough that this sense of "bargain"…

"more than they bargained for" is not a phrase that I think about. I know what it means, but it's always used as a set phrase.

"Bargaining chip" is a bit more obvious, though. I admit, it does mean that, but I still think of it as a thing instead of 2 separate words. Right up until you pointed it out.

Even "you drive a hard bargain" comes through my head full of meaning, and I have to think about the word itself to realize it means that.

So a point of clarification: I've never heard the word used that way that wasn't part of a colloquial phrase.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#36

Post by branchless »

majormajor wrote: post #33
paulpauper wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

85K in 2004 would cover more than "just rent and other expenses" or I'd eat my hat. It was a different time, with different costs, and a much less inflated market. The author even calls it "about as much as you could possibly earn right out of college." MIT is obviously about the prestige and academic opportunities more than the money. If you're saying these aren't great options for a college senior in 2004 you need…

People in their 20s don't remember before the banking coup. They think it has to be like this.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#37

Post by EpicEng »

paulpauper wrote: post #32
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

Yeah tell that to my buddy working the night shift at a Chrysler plant, or 99% of working America for that matter.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#38

Post by majormajor »

branchless wrote: post #36
majormajor wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

85K in 2004 would cover more than "just rent and other expenses" or I'd eat my hat. It was a different time, with different costs, and a much less inflated market. The author even calls it "about as much as you could possibly earn right out of college." MIT is obviously about the prestige and academic opportunities more than the money. If you're saying these aren't great options for a college senior in 2004 you need…

People in their 20s don't remember before the banking coup. They think it has to be like this.

Shit, 85K as a college grad TODAY still puts you solidly into the upper ranges of your demographic.

If you think that's "just cover rent and expenses" money, how do you think the people you buy coffee, food, or anything else from live??

The author also doesn't seem to discuss what he did the 8 following years, which seems baffling.

> I didn’t know which traits I ultimately wanted in my career, but I appreciated that MIT would offer me more options for the career capital I generated.

So which traits did you build?! Tell me up front why I should listen to you if I wanted to build a career (it's not cause you had two nice offers coming out of college - that's why I'd listen to you if I was a high school senior).

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#39

Post by wuliwong »

paulpauper wrote: post #32
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

"Huge sums of money" isn't well defined so I can't comment on that. But the idea that $85K is only enough to cover rent and other expenses is wrong.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#40

Post by mkirklions »

erikb wrote: post #5

Completely agree with what is stated. Jobs where you can learn something are much more valuable than jobs that pay well from the beginning. I'd like to add that at least for me it was confusing how many valuable skills I need before I can really sell myself consistently. It's not enough to just develop in a programming language. You need to know how to QA your code, how to project manage, how to deploy your code to u…

Oh boy.

I sold out and took the money to be a program manager.

I use the money to pay for my pet projects that I hope one day will explode.

Goal is to be a leader, not a laborer.

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