Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#71

Post by timcederman » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 5:10 PM UTC

daveambrose wrote: post #53

timcederman wrote: post #11

My PhD. Sure I learnt lots of great stuff and met some great people - but I could've done all that with a master's.

What did you get a PhD in?

Human Computer Interaction. Specifically, I wrote about using participatory and user centred design for implementing ubiquitous computing systems in non-office environments (in order to improve HCI).

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#72

Post by icey » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 5:28 PM UTC

charlesju wrote: post #66

mattmaroon wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm baffled as to how he could actually believe that. Also, the cost of forming an LLC to insulate yourself against that is trivial.

You cannot get sued for having a site that isnt charging anything because youre not giving any legal consideration. Without legal consideration, there is no contract between you and your user base. Thus, while you technically can still be sued, having that case go anywhere is very unlikely. Of course if youre doing something legally grey like youtube or file sharing, then perhaps you should incorporate. But without a…

You've added a sentence to your post regarding requiring an example. What basis would there be for any legal suit if a company wasn't doing anything legally gray? Isn't that the point of a lawsuit?

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#73

Post by tc7 » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 5:29 PM UTC

Graduated with BA in comp.sci at 19 y.o. (not a mistake), then immediately took job doing web support stuff with big (non-tech) company.

In retrospect, I would have loved to look at more options (like starting my own company), but a) I honestly wasn't even aware of the y-combinator sorts of opportunities, b) I was engaged to be married, and felt pressure to be 'stable', and c) didn't think there was anything interesting in my area (and didn't want to leave).

So now (at 22) I'm working on a solo startup solo, in bits and pieces on the side. I just don't want to be like all the 30-year people surrounding me. Or the 10 year people. Or even the cynical, tired person I see myself becoming, all too rapidly ;). Must... not... give... in...

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#74

Post by menloparkbum » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 5:43 PM UTC

prakash wrote: post #36

menloparkbum wrote: post #16

startup-wise: 1. working as employee #6 at a startup in boston instead of google in 2001. 2. working as employee #6 at a startup in SF instead of youtube in 2005. whoops!

At that point in time, where the other 2 startup ideas less/more crazy than google/yahoo?

Google was obviously a good company at the time. I just thought being #6 at this other startup would leave me better off financially than being employee 300-something at Google. Not the case.

In regards to YouTube, I was actually doing work for a YouTube competitor at the time. They sold their tech early to another YouTube competitor, but since I was a contract employee, not a founder, I didn't make any money off of the sale.

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#75

Post by HeyLaughingBoy » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 6:16 PM UTC

time_management wrote: post #54

babul wrote: post #41

Not sleeping with more women. When I was younger, women were more plentiful (and looking for relationships) but I spent most of my time in front of computers. Today, computers are more plentiful and most of the nice women I meet are already married or in long term relationships.

I could understand if your regret were not dating, but is your only regret a lack of sex? The "nice women" would be averse to marrying you if your number got too high. From the perspective of a marriage-worthy woman, it's fine to be a virgin till 23-25, and the ideal number for a 30-year-old male is probably 1-6. How old are you? It seems that the odds get better for a guy until age 35. When you're 20, the age range…

Wow, what a difference in perspective. I couldn't imagine wanting to marry a woman who even cared about the number of women I've slept with. My wife and I were both very "friendly" before we met each other and neither of us has ever even bothered to ask the other how many people we've slept with. It simply doesn't matter to me.

I wonder what your criteria for "marriage-worthy woman" is.

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#76

Post by ChaitanyaSai » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 6:28 PM UTC

menloparkbum wrote: post #16

startup-wise: 1. working as employee #6 at a startup in boston instead of google in 2001. 2. working as employee #6 at a startup in SF instead of youtube in 2005. whoops!

Ouch! However, this counts as a risk with a not-so-fortunate outcome right? For most people, a mistake would be the gap between the risks they took and their innate risk-taking ability. In startupspeak, there's nothing wrong with a steady job if you aren't an adrenalin junkie, and there's nothing wrong with multiple bombed ventures if you are.

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#77

Post by Hexstream » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 7:03 PM UTC

pavelludiq wrote: post #46

I didn't have the guts to ask this one girl out.

I did and she basically spit in my face...

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#78

Post by icky » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 7:25 PM UTC

My worst mistakes were in doing what was expected of me, rather than what I wanted to do.

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#79

Post by misterbwong » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 7:31 PM UTC

nostrademons wrote: post #60

cubix wrote: post #39

Spending the first half of my twenties working my guts out for a big corporation where my efforts went largely unnoticed outside of my immediate sphere. I'm certain that if I put that time into a start-up I would be much better off today -- even if it failed.

I'm kinda curious - is there anyone who doesn't regret their twenties? We've got three posts regretting working for the wrong startup (mine, menloparkbum, and gscott), one working for a big company (yours), one going to grad school (timcederman), one getting a degree (jobeyonekenobi), and one doing nothing (johnyzee). So apparently working for a small company is bad, working for a big company is bad, not working is b…

I'm not sure that "What should one be doing?" is the right question. I tend to ask myself that question a lot and I've drawn the conclusion that it's how you do things and what you learn from them that counts.

Re: Ask HN: What has been your biggest mistake?

#80

Post by icky » Mon, Aug 04, 2008, 7:42 PM UTC

charlesju wrote: post #66

mattmaroon wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm baffled as to how he could actually believe that. Also, the cost of forming an LLC to insulate yourself against that is trivial.

You cannot get sued for having a site that isnt charging anything because youre not giving any legal consideration. Without legal consideration, there is no contract between you and your user base. Thus, while you technically can still be sued, having that case go anywhere is very unlikely. Of course if youre doing something legally grey like youtube or file sharing, then perhaps you should incorporate. But without a…

Are you a lawyer?

Is this legal advice?