Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 125 posts

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#81

Post by cableshaft »

dusted wrote: post #60
karpierz wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The parent's point is that you don't make money by casting arbitrary spells, you make money by solving problems for people. You happen to solve them by casting spells, but they're not paying you for the spell, they're paying to make the problem go away.

Exactly, and the value gained by solving the problem is going to be larger than the value of the spells that did it. Nobody is going to pay more money for a program than they're going to make from having that program.

> Nobody is going to pay more money for a program than they're going to make from having that program.

Maybe not intentionally. Unintentionally, though, it happens all the time!

Like I've worked on several games for small companies that failed to find an audience and didn't sell well upon release, as well as large new initiatives for large corporations that either never fully materialized or were made to sell with a couple of clients in mind that never ended up signing the contract so those projects ended up getting discarded after the corporation had me put several months of work into them.

Thankfully I've also worked on programs that have had a lot of impact as well.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#82

Post by dusted »

cableshaft wrote: post #81
dusted wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, and the value gained by solving the problem is going to be larger than the value of the spells that did it. Nobody is going to pay more money for a program than they're going to make from having that program.

> Nobody is going to pay more money for a program than they're going to make from having that program. Maybe not intentionally. Unintentionally, though, it happens all the time! Like I've worked on several games for small companies that failed to find an audience and didn't sell well upon release, as well as large new initiatives for large corporations that either never fully materialized or were made to sell with a…

True, it was vaguely worded..

Nobody pays for software with the intention to pay more money for a program than they believe they will save or earn from the services of that program.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#83

Post by willcipriano »

dusted wrote: post #23

I guess you already know, and you're asking exactly because you know.. But programming does not create value, it creates programs, which may create value.. Programming is a skill sure, but it does not create value, it creates programs. Programs may create value, so, the valuable skill is not really being able to create a program, but being able to find some problem, whose solution creates value. Programming may be re…

With this explanation I'm not sure how managers add value. If you asked me previously, I'd say they pick what problems we solve but since I'm apparently in charge of that as well. What do they do exactly?

The way I see it is I'm like a contractor. If you want me to put a purple roof on the house you are building, fine but don't come crying to me when nobody wants to buy it.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#85

Post by InfiniteRand »

I would advise working for a small company. Small company's usually have a backlog of unrealized dreams and if you're careful you can take on extra projects which interest you. Small company's have plenty of downsides like lack of clear career path, lack of HR resources (like guidance on how family leave works), lack of clear roadmaps, etc. but flexibility is an upside and that can help you keep your job in the role you want.

Just my two cents, coming from someone who has worked mostly for small companies but often observed big companies through the lens of a consultant.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#87

Post by beaconstudios »

Three options spring to mind:

- Start your own company, either products or services

- Join a startup that is generous with equity, as an early employee

- Join a worker co-op (not that many of these generally, but IME they're overrepresented in software)

You basically want skin in the game, from the sounds of it, and employment generally doesn't offer this (intentionally).

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#88

Post by iNate2000 »

throwaway34135 wrote: post #11
soneca wrote: post #3

Maybe you should renegotiate those IP clauses or find a new job that doesn’t have them. It seems to be the main blocker for you to do what would make you happy.

How would one sell that / do jobs like that actually exist? I'm trying to imagine the conversation where I would suggest that without the framing that I should be allowed to work on my own projects on company time because I'm not being productive with most of my working hours.

I’ve had at least one job where the employment agreement actually mentions intellectual-property exceptions. So, I just brought that up with the recruiter/HR person and they whipped out a form where I describe my existing project. Someone (a lawyer?) reviews it to make sure I’m not competing in the same field as the company and everything was good.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#89

Post by f0e4c2f7 »

beaconstudios wrote: post #87

Three options spring to mind: - Start your own company, either products or services - Join a startup that is generous with equity, as an early employee - Join a worker co-op (not that many of these generally, but IME they're overrepresented in software) You basically want skin in the game, from the sounds of it, and employment generally doesn't offer this (intentionally).

I've never heard of a worker coop. That's an interesting idea. Are there any software ones that are especially well known?

Re: Ask HN: What's the best way to monetize actual programming?

#90

Post by makeitdouble »

willcipriano wrote: post #83
dusted wrote: post #23

I guess you already know, and you're asking exactly because you know.. But programming does not create value, it creates programs, which may create value.. Programming is a skill sure, but it does not create value, it creates programs. Programs may create value, so, the valuable skill is not really being able to create a program, but being able to find some problem, whose solution creates value. Programming may be re…

With this explanation I'm not sure how managers add value. If you asked me previously, I'd say they pick what problems we solve but since I'm apparently in charge of that as well. What do they do exactly? The way I see it is I'm like a contractor. If you want me to put a purple roof on the house you are building, fine but don't come crying to me when nobody wants to buy it.

I think in most orgs managers are supposed to _extract_ value, not to add.

The best image could be of the relation between a singer and their manager: some singers do everything themselves, others will benefit from someone focusing on maintaining a stream of money flowing in.

Post reply on HN