91–100 of 118 posts
Sometimes building something entirely on your own takes you away from the craft you love. If you are master chocolate maker, but have to focus on business, accounting, marketing, etc., maybe you'd rather just work for an awesome little chocolate company and focus on your craft, ya know?
It's sobering, and makes me think that there's a lot to know about business that I don't know.
I could start a systems startup, but having worked for such a company in the past, I know I don't want to start one, especially at this stage in my career: finding funding (this isn't something you can bootstrap), customer support, doing business development (to find a sales channel) and/or sales/marketing (the sales model is not self-serve) would be what I'd spend huge portions most of my time on. Note how that list doesn't include "solving actual technical problems" -- doing something I love would only be a minority of my time. Nor would I have access to true scalability challenges (i.e., to envision scenarios that my customers would encounter further down the line) like I do at my current employer.
Might I do a startup one day? Sure, if it's the best way for me to solve the problems that I find meaningful and interesting. As for the money? Not really a motivating factor, plus statistically it's just not likely that I'll make more as an entrepreneur than as a software engineer.
Working on a side project for yourself is easy and as he says, it's possible to find the time. However, having my own founded and co-founded companies for the last 20 years, I must say unless you have enough money to really work on what you want, you're always working for someone else. As a consultant, you're always working for clients and if business isn't too bad, you can at some point be picky and chose your clien…
The difference is that as a self-employed consultant, you can fire bosses (we call them customers) that cause you too much trouble. It's a question of balance of power, and one should not underestimate that difference. Similarly with startups and investors. If you have the ability to walk away and find another job, that gives you power. This is a big reason CEO's make obscene amounts of money in this country while fl…
As for having a startup with investors, if the fun isn't there anymore you always have the option of walking away.
Walking away isn't for everyone, though. Getting to the point where it's an option in your arsenal, having the confidence and experience of knowing you'll find something else to make a living by yourself is what separate entrepreneurs and employees.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Very true, but there's no need to assign developers as "inspiring experts" and entrepreneurs as "wealthy people." 10/10 of the wealthiest people are not successful because they wanted to be rich, they're successful because they enjoy business and entrepreneurship. These people aren't any different than you; they just have different interests. It ultimately comes down to your personal interests. Like business? Be an e…
You're very right, I didn't mean to imply such a dichotomy. I was thinking more along the lines off come up with your personal top 10 at X, where X can be even as simple as people who inspire/influenced you, and look for patterns.
This would include people who are inspired by autonomy and self-determination (read: congenitally unable to work for someone else) - the "E-Myth" claims not working for someone else is the main reason people start a business.
My boss spends all day answering emails and dealing with clients, while I write code. I see no reason why I would want to trade places.
Been there, done that. Being a developer is a small fraction of what you need in order to create a successful product. If you are the kind of person who can do it, you don't need to read posts like these. I don't know about this guy, but it looks like he hasn't done it, and he has little idea of what lies ahead. Best of luck to him.
You should really read patio11's comment on the Google 250K thread...individual developer productivity is indeed through the roof!
We would not actually mind working for a company but companies seem to be lowballing us heavily and also giving us shit work...Going and making our own thing can not only be infinitely satisfying but it can also make sense financially!
Exactly. I'm a developer, not a businessman. I don't want to deal with the problems of running a business, all I want to do is make cool things. Letting somebody else run the business allows me to do that. I'm not here for the money - my employer pays me enough that I don't have to worry about money. That's all I want. My boss spends all day answering emails and dealing with clients, while I write code. I see no reas…
How can you be happy when your boss makes much more money than you writing emails all day...point is that you should really be the boss having an assistant who can write emails!
Exactly. I'm a developer, not a businessman. I don't want to deal with the problems of running a business, all I want to do is make cool things. Letting somebody else run the business allows me to do that. I'm not here for the money - my employer pays me enough that I don't have to worry about money. That's all I want. My boss spends all day answering emails and dealing with clients, while I write code. I see no reas…
If your boss actually lets you make cool things then you are lucky....chances are that you are a salaried bitch who can code! How can you be happy when your boss makes much more money than you writing emails all day...point is that you should really be the boss having an assistant who can write emails!