Poll: Where do you work? • Hacker News Board

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#181

Post by mgkimsal » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 3:15 PM UTC

dpritchett wrote: post #180

optimusclimb wrote: post #45

Sigh, these poll options seem to confirm to me just how myopic many HN and startup people are about the software world. Believe it or not, there is a LOT of software that gets written that either is not "web", or related to a startup. Additionally, the people that write it do find the content at HN relevant and interesting. I found myself at a party in SF on New Years at an apartment that housed a startup as well as…

I recently had a (current) YC founder approach me online about interviewing for a job. He messaged me on Quora soon after I'd posted a spate of answers for a chic programming topic. We set up a phone screen the next day and then he silently hung up halfway through my answer to the first question. He'd asked "so are you a dev or a designer or what" and I guess "I configure and integrate custom enterprise software pack…

How unbelievably rude of him. Even if you're not what he's looking for, he could have at least asked you for referrals. You'll probably never refer anyone to their product/service again after having been treated that shabbily (I know I wouldn't).

Feels like you should name names, but even if you don't here, you'll probably do so when retelling this in person to other people.

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#182

Post by k3dz » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 3:21 PM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #110

cookiecaper wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am almost certain that non-web software brings in much more revenue than web software. There is a lot of niche WinForms stuff out there from no-name vendors that rule a given industry and companies pay a lot of money for that, and that's not even counting revenue from office suites, operating systems, financial management, and other desktop software that sits in every business. There are a few glaring exceptions li…

Oh, absolutely. Before my current job I had no idea of the sort of money that corporations would throw at enterprise software if it filled an need. We have an enterprise product in a under-developed market; in the first six months we pushed prices up literally 1000 fold without any drop in interest. I've observed this even in competitive markets. Enterprise is a seriously seriously big money spinner; you're looking a…

There was once a programmer who was attached to the court of the warlord of Wu. The warlord asked the programmer: "Which is easier to design: an accounting package or an operating system?"

"An operating system," replied the programmer.

The warlord uttered an exclamation of disbelief. "Surely an accounting package is trivial next to the complexity of an operating system," he said.

"Not so," said the programmer, "when designing an accounting package, the programmer operates as a mediator between people having different ideas: how it must operate, how its reports must appear, and how it must conform to the tax laws. By contrast, an operating system is not limited by outside appearances. When designing an operating system, the programmer seeks the simplest harmony between machine and ideas. This is why an operating system is easier to design."

- from the Tao of Programming

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#183

Post by larrik » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 3:28 PM UTC

ladon86 wrote: post #166

larrik wrote: post #54

No one here works at Apple? No wonder iTunes is so bad on Windows.

I think rule 1 of working at Apple is you don't talk about working at Apple. Also rule 2, iirc.

I suspected as much, since I don't recall ever seeing an HNer say they currently work for Apple in comments.

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#184

Post by closure » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 4:17 PM UTC

eof wrote: post #178

patio11 wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Close your eyes. Pick a direction randomly. Point. What are you pointing at? You're pointing at something that took over a billion dollars of software to get to your door. Software at the exchange, at the bank, at the office, at the factory, on the loading dock, on the ships, controlling the trucks, in the supply chain, running the register, in your car. No, web is not the last refuge of software, and $20/mo. is not…

nor is free/month; yet FB has a $50B valuation.

Enron was worth quite a bit at one point, too.

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#185

Post by dave_h » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 6:51 PM UTC

russnewcomer wrote: post #62

I work for a non-web IT services company in the midwest. I hack a couple of side projects, and would like to get back into software development. Is there anyone else here that's in the midwest, or is it all coastal?

St. Louis, MO

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#186

Post by geoffw8 » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 7:27 PM UTC

nailer wrote: post #176

geoffw8 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...but also Windows 7, Microsoft Office/Exchange... etc

Those aren't internet apps.

Err, yeah, thats my point

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#187

Post by chadgeidel » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 8:18 PM UTC

nkassis wrote: post #151

notyourwork wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where does a university development position fall within this realm?

I said other but university research should have been a.category and gov too

Might as well throw non-startup banking or finance then. wink

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#188

Post by chadgeidel » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 8:21 PM UTC

revorad wrote: post #25

Wow, I didn't expect so many (max right now) votes for Non-web company. It'd be nice to hear more about these companies for a change. Who are you guys and what companies are you running?

Internal marketing-related software for credit-card company.

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#189

Post by avstraliitski » Thu, Jan 27, 2011, 10:42 PM UTC

Mobile video specialist.

Re: Poll: Where do you work?

#190

Post by sedachv » Fri, Jan 28, 2011, 12:09 AM UTC

ErrantX wrote: post #110

cookiecaper wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am almost certain that non-web software brings in much more revenue than web software. There is a lot of niche WinForms stuff out there from no-name vendors that rule a given industry and companies pay a lot of money for that, and that's not even counting revenue from office suites, operating systems, financial management, and other desktop software that sits in every business. There are a few glaring exceptions li…

Oh, absolutely. Before my current job I had no idea of the sort of money that corporations would throw at enterprise software if it filled an need. We have an enterprise product in a under-developed market; in the first six months we pushed prices up literally 1000 fold without any drop in interest. I've observed this even in competitive markets. Enterprise is a seriously seriously big money spinner; you're looking a…

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

The problem with building enterprise (highly-domain specific business) software is that to start, you need to know that a problem exists.

You won't find this information on the Internet or even in books. You need someone with very deep domain knowledge and the insight to recognize that a problem exists, that it has a possible solution, and that the solution has a larger market it can be sold to. The people who know all that, and are willing to take a risk and start a company around it are rare. If you're a programmer, find and work with them.