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I just want to code (2023)

zachbellay.com

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Re: I just want to code (2023)

#21

Post by protocolture »

cortesoft wrote: post #15

Am I the only coder who has never really felt the desire to "be my own boss" and get rich from coding? I was so against the idea, actually, that I avoided majoring in CS because I didn't want to ruin my favorite hobby by doing it professionally. It wasn't until a few years after I graduated with my philosophy degree and couldn't find a career that I decided to try writing code for a living. It's been great for me for…

You wanted to get rich in the philosophy mines while coding as a hobby?

Be cool if you pulled it off.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#22

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

cortesoft wrote: post #15

Am I the only coder who has never really felt the desire to "be my own boss" and get rich from coding? I was so against the idea, actually, that I avoided majoring in CS because I didn't want to ruin my favorite hobby by doing it professionally. It wasn't until a few years after I graduated with my philosophy degree and couldn't find a career that I decided to try writing code for a living. It's been great for me for…

Speaking only for myself, I never wanted to be rich. It would have been nice to have the money, but I never wanted to make the sacrifices necessary.

I also didn't want to be used by some predator, to make them rich. I found a [less-than-perfect, but OK] company to work for, that had values I liked, and stayed there, for a long time. I got to hang with the really cool kids. I mean the ones that were so cool, no one knew who they were, because they didn't care about being cool. They just liked doing what they were doing, and they were the best at it.

I was the dumbest kid in the room, and I'm smarter than the average bear. I also got to play with some very cool toys.

But I was a manager, for most of that time, and I didn't want to give up coding. I didn't have a "shower clause" in my employment contract, so I spent a great deal of my extracurricular time, doing open-source stuff. I had an organization that could use my skills, so I worked with them.

Eventually, the cool ride was over (after almost 27 years), and I found myself ready to roll up my sleeves, and help make someone else rich.

But no one wanted me, so I was forced to retire, and I've never been happier.

I was just talking about this, yesterday, to a friend of mine, who sold his company, and is getting set to become a Man of Leisure. He's like me. He needs something to do, and I suspect that he'll do something cool.

I mentioned how upset I was, when I figured out that no one wanted me, but, after a year or so of following my own muse, I realized that I had been working at a state of chronic, low-grade misery, for over 30 years. I probably work harder now, than I ever did, drawing a salary, and I absolutely love it. This is what I've been working on, for the last month or so[0]. Still have a ways to go, but it's coming along great, and I've been learning a lot.

Here's a post that I wrote, some time ago, about how I like to approach things[1].

[0] https://github.com/RiftValleySoftware/ambiamara/tree/master/...

[1] https://littlegreenviper.com/miscellany/thats-not-what-ships...

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#23

Post by mncharity »

codr7 wrote: post #5

I've found that just writing code only takes me so far, I need to share as well to feel good about it. But sharing anything outside of the ordinary with the world means painting a pretty big target on your back. On the positive side, it also opens up an avenue for getting paid. My point is that if you start with the fun and let it grow from there, and you're willing to go through the discomfort of sharing, it doesn't…

> share as well to feel good about it. But

I wish to share, but not to helicopter parent. I've long felt this case ill served, from 1995 Perl CPAN's "you own the package name" (vs author-packagename-version triples), to 2025 github's impoverished support for communities of forks. No "past me wrote this; present me frees it to jam; future me isn't involved - play well together, and maybe someday I'll listen in or drop by". The emphasis has been on human ownership/control of code, and of limited human collaboration, rather than on code getting out there, building friendships and communities, having fun and flourishing with the humans.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#24

Post by billybones »

coolThingsFirst wrote: post #14
Macha wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of why people didn't build Stripe before was that to enter the payments space you needed connections to get the banks and payment processors to work with you. In comparison, you don't need anyone's permission to make uber for dry cleaners or something in line with other trends of the time. I doubt the Collison brothers would have been as successful getting Stripe off the ground if it had been their first compan…

Anything thats remotely disruptive requires the same deep connections. Tech just doesnt have many opportunities left.

Set a reminder for 10 years from now. Let's see how many incredible new tech products have been built. My guess is that ~any judge will decide that it turned out there were a lot of things still to be built

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#25

Post by mlinhares »

morkalork wrote: post #16
coolThingsFirst wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anything thats remotely disruptive requires the same deep connections. Tech just doesnt have many opportunities left.

Working at a start-up now and seeing how many partnerships are solely due to connections of the CEO or a random board member is crushing. The tech side is an entirely and relatively easily solvable problem in comparison to the rest.

Has always been, there are a few cases where this wasn't true but odds are any industry you want to "enter" needs someone with connections to open the doors for you.

Tech is a problem that needs solving but it isn't the biggest problem to be solved, having a network and knowing people is more than half the job.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#26

Post by platevoltage »

cortesoft wrote: post #15

Am I the only coder who has never really felt the desire to "be my own boss" and get rich from coding? I was so against the idea, actually, that I avoided majoring in CS because I didn't want to ruin my favorite hobby by doing it professionally. It wasn't until a few years after I graduated with my philosophy degree and couldn't find a career that I decided to try writing code for a living. It's been great for me for…

I never thought that I would "be my own boss" after making the moves needed to go beyond just being a hobbyist, but I was quickly shown that I'm essentially unemployable.

It's been 2 years, and I can proudly say that i'm finally making more money than I did delivering packages on a bicycle in SF, which isn't much.

Getting rich was never in the cards for me, but not having to answer to a tyrannical boss every day is definitely a positive. Coming from a blue-collar background, that's pretty much the norm, and that sentiment has stuck with me.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#27

Post by austin-cheney »

codr7 wrote: post #5

I've found that just writing code only takes me so far, I need to share as well to feel good about it. But sharing anything outside of the ordinary with the world means painting a pretty big target on your back. On the positive side, it also opens up an avenue for getting paid. My point is that if you start with the fun and let it grow from there, and you're willing to go through the discomfort of sharing, it doesn't…

I used to think the same thing, that sharing was caring. Now, for me, I would rather share with non-coders. So now everything is communicated as a product summary, not a coding project.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#28

Post by charlie0 »

coolThingsFirst wrote: post #14
Macha wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of why people didn't build Stripe before was that to enter the payments space you needed connections to get the banks and payment processors to work with you. In comparison, you don't need anyone's permission to make uber for dry cleaners or something in line with other trends of the time. I doubt the Collison brothers would have been as successful getting Stripe off the ground if it had been their first compan…

Anything thats remotely disruptive requires the same deep connections. Tech just doesnt have many opportunities left.

Deep connections: the invisible wall the common man cannot pass.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#29

Post by charlie0 »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #22
cortesoft wrote: post #15

Am I the only coder who has never really felt the desire to "be my own boss" and get rich from coding? I was so against the idea, actually, that I avoided majoring in CS because I didn't want to ruin my favorite hobby by doing it professionally. It wasn't until a few years after I graduated with my philosophy degree and couldn't find a career that I decided to try writing code for a living. It's been great for me for…

Speaking only for myself, I never wanted to be rich. It would have been nice to have the money, but I never wanted to make the sacrifices necessary. I also didn't want to be used by some predator, to make them rich. I found a [less-than-perfect, but OK] company to work for, that had values I liked, and stayed there, for a long time. I got to hang with the really cool kids . I mean the ones that were so cool, no one k…

I don't want to be rich either, but it would be awesome to FIRE before I'm 65.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#30

Post by [deleted] »

mlinhares wrote: post #25
morkalork wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Working at a start-up now and seeing how many partnerships are solely due to connections of the CEO or a random board member is crushing. The tech side is an entirely and relatively easily solvable problem in comparison to the rest.

Has always been, there are a few cases where this wasn't true but odds are any industry you want to "enter" needs someone with connections to open the doors for you. Tech is a problem that needs solving but it isn't the biggest problem to be solved, having a network and knowing people is more than half the job.

[deleted]
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