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

Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 90 posts

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#11

Post by godelski »

I don't know the answer. But I just want to say that you're not alone. One of the things that motivates me to study ML is I want to help create a world where everyone can be free to pursue their passions, to be... the most human they can be. (I also really love studying mathematics and intelligence, so it aligns well) There are so many things that frustrate me about the area I work in, but I think these things will always exist. I think it is best to just focus on your passion and not others. But it is also difficult to focus on your passions when you have to worry about living. I don't want to say that the answer is to go back and get a traditional job. It may be the answer due to environmental constraints, but I hope not.

So the little advice I have is to remember what made you passionate in the first place. Don't think about others and how you compare, think about yourself. I think the motivation dies when you lose that passion or that passion gets tainted. If it means taking other work, then do that. If it doesn't, then that's great! But no matter what, make sure there is something in your life that you can find passion and joy in doing. If you don't have this thing, all other things fall apart.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#12

Post by ilyaovchinnikov »

fear91 wrote: post #8

This might sound harsh, but: Maybe the wise choice is to change the path? That feeling of resignation, while a bitter pill to swallow, might be a good thing in the end. I used to beat myself over for not working hard and dedicating myself to my ideas, yet a few years down the line it became obvious the startups I wanted to build would have been made obsolete by other tech. I've dodged a few wasted years, a burnout or…

Something to think about. Thank you.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#13

Post by Vagantem »

I wrote a blog post* about this from a more "marketing" point of view. I can really feel like an uphill battle but I think the trick is to learn to love the journey more than the end goal.

Do things that don't scale so you don't invest too much money in it, find ways of doing it cheap. Balance your time working on startup projects as a hobby with another fulltime job and family life. Be ok if it doesn't go anywhere. Change ideas if the one you're working on does not pan out. Be happy you work on something you love working on - even if it is a slow process.

And in the end, one of your ideas will probably take off!

*briefmix.com/startup/trough-of-sorrow

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#14

Post by ilyaovchinnikov »

riku_iki wrote: post #5

Diversify and find some reasonable balance: 1. XX% of life is dedicated to chasing your startup ideas 2. YY% of life is dedicated to earning bread and butter (salary work, contracts, not necessary stable and continuous) 3. ZZ% of life is dedicated to what you enjoy: hobbies, time with family, travels You can try to combine (1) and (3), aka try to build life style business in the area you have passion.

[dead]

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#15

Post by marxisttemp »

godelski wrote: post #11

I don't know the answer. But I just want to say that you're not alone. One of the things that motivates me to study ML is I want to help create a world where everyone can be free to pursue their passions, to be... the most human they can be. (I also really love studying mathematics and intelligence, so it aligns well) There are so many things that frustrate me about the area I work in, but I think these things will a…

Do you believe that what you are working on will really help free people to work on their passions? Every other efficiency increase has gone to line the pockets of the already-rich. I have lost hope for a brighter world. I can find happiness in my own life, but I find a bitter rage grows in me each day against the owners of the means of production.

“We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, and the machine is bleeding to death.”

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#16

Post by e40 »

imperialdrive wrote: post #7

Life is just hard. I don't know how folks managed 50 years ago, 100 years, 500+ years, it was just our ability to keep pushing through the mud, the cold nights, the loneliness, sometimes letting a glimpse of a beautiful day or sparkling night be enough to keep going. Someone told me that life and work and relationships are sometimes just pushing everything you have in a giant deep dark hole in the ground, and every n…

They survived in the past by having low expectations and knowing hardship was a fact of life. And also that life was unfair to the extreme.

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#17

Post by ilyaovchinnikov »

godelski wrote: post #11

I don't know the answer. But I just want to say that you're not alone. One of the things that motivates me to study ML is I want to help create a world where everyone can be free to pursue their passions, to be... the most human they can be. (I also really love studying mathematics and intelligence, so it aligns well) There are so many things that frustrate me about the area I work in, but I think these things will a…

[dead]

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#19

Post by lm28469 »

Being your own boss and seeing the beauty of the world are both extremely modern tropes, I'm not saying they're bad in and of themselves but they certainly aren't the be-all and end-all. Lots of tech people become miserable and insufferable trying to follow that dream

Re: Ask HN: How to Overcome the Trough of Sorrow?

#20

Post by agluszak »

Why do you want so hard to start a business? Why not spend your precious time, money and effort on something else? If what motivates you is willingness to change the world - you can do so by working for a non-profit organization. If you want to earn money - you can be a regular employee.

> Where do you find the strength to keep going? What keeps you going and energizes you?

It is NOT work. I try to work as little as possible. Being a programmer, it is not so hard to earn a good living while working part-time. I'm an urban activist and a guerilla gardener. I spend a lot of time talking to neighbors in our community garden I started :) I also signed up for a literature and creative writing course at the university (in Poland studying is free, I know that's not the case in the US).

Work doesn't have to be the most important thing in your life.

Post reply on HN