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I just want to code (2023)

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Re: I just want to code (2023)

#131

Post by ludicrousdispla »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #90
ludicrousdispla wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm wondering what a "shower clause" would be in a contract and hoping it's not a Silkwood reference.

No. It's the clause that is common in tech contracts, where any idea that you come up with, "in the shower," belongs to the company. It prevents things like moonlighting, or doing charity work. I worked for a company that employed a lot of top-notch photographers, and there's no way that they would have agreed to anything like that.

oh yeah, the 'no intellectually rewarding hobbies' clause ... that has always seemed counterproductive and short-sighted from my perspective

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#132

Post by 999900000999 »

brulard wrote: post #104
999900000999 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like programming for my friends. The moment money gets involved it goes to shit. Idea guys want you to program for free , and offer you something like 1% vested over 5 years. They have you sign NDAs before you start working. The ideas are all really really stupid. I do have my ideas, but I’m also humble enough to just accept I’ll probably never make any real money. I self taught my way straight to 6 figures ( back…

First thing for wannabe enterpreneurs to learn is that allmost all your ideas are shit, and those that are good still need a lot of luck and the best execution to get somewhere. How many good ideas didn't work for first startups that came with it, but worked for someone else years later?

I'm fine with building out stupid ideas, for one of two reasons.

One, we've been friends for a minimum of 5 years and I sincerely like you as a person.

Two, you pay me.

At least twice I've had situations where I basically need someone at a bar or something and within a week they're sending me a bunch of specs to program out something that will require a small team to do properly. Then when you do hack out a small prototype it's not good enough.

At this point in my life, I'd rather work on my own solo projects if anything. I'll release the code MIT and if someone smarter than me wants to make money off it they can

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#133

Post by didip »

This resonates greatly with me.

It used to be such a torture (in my own mind) to constantly trying to come up with a new hustle.

But not anymore. As I got older and after fatherhood, I have learned that balance is everything. Including valueing my time in having fun doing productive things.

If the hacking side project gives me tremendous enjoyment, then it is a win already both from happiness and the “job training” aspect.

As it so happened, I just hang out with my little cousins who are into robotics and so glad that my side projects in the past helped me connect with them, and I was able to give valuable advice. That was a big win for me.

Also, I have learned the value of providing stability for my own family. Something that the childless me never appreciated. Throwing away stability to start a startup has a steep cost these days.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#134

Post by acureau »

skor wrote: post #113

I code purely for fun, creating programs that generate and compose music. Sometimes I hit the record button and capture the results. Here's one of my latest recordings, if anyone's interested: https://lowveld.bandcamp.com/album/etches . Musically I think this belongs in the underground - and should stay there. I'm very interested in the theory behind software & music. Over the years I've mostly focused on the enginee…

I'd love to read some of these programs and/or read about the process of writing them. "Etches 04" is awesome, it sounds like I'm looking out at some post-apocalyptic cityscape. Please do drop a line if you publish anything.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#135

Post by yifanl »

Fripplebubby wrote: post #121
LandR wrote: post #114

Man, I work 8-4 Mon-Fri. As soon as 4 rolls around, I'm done with the money making portion of the day and the rest is just entirely fun stuff. I couldn't care less if what I'm doing isn't ever going to make money, it's just fun / interesting / satisfying curiosity. I run - but I know I'm never going to make money running. I climb - but I know I'm never going to make money climbing. I code for fun on my side projects…

I think part of the author's point is that, specifically if you are _coding_ for fun, it is much harder to "turn off" that part of your brain that analyzes it from a business perspective. It's not as if you can close one IDE at 4 and open another IDE at 4:01 at put yourself in a different mindset.

I do just that by switching colour schemes. Light mode at work, dark mode at home. It takes a little bit, but the brain is easily tricked by flashy lights.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#136

Post by bigstrat2003 »

pc86 wrote: post #125
sethammons wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What other jobs have you had? I have been a photo lab assistant, a sign maker apprentice, a graphic designer, an insurance agent, a financial advisor, a construction worker and manual laborer, an inner-city math teacher, a software developer turned manager turn developer, now at the staff level. Software is the most cush job I have had. More money for less work. Better perks. Less stress overall. Constantly learning,…

100% - my friends who have only ever written code think it's a "hard" job in the objective sense. That among all possible jobs, it is on the difficult side of the spectrum. I've been an EMT, a line cook, a dishwasher, a waiter, sold insurance, and worked on political campaigns. The easiest of all those is 10x harder than the hardest day of writing code. It's frustrating at times, sure. There's office politics, sure.…

Yeah, I definitely agree with you. Any time you see someone saying how hard it is to write code as a job, you can tell they've never had a "real" job. I grew up working on a farm every day - I would take programming every day of the week. Even on the days when I'm frustrated or dealing with difficult people, it's better than hard physical labor which wears down your body, is fairly gross (lots of poop!), and doesn't even pay 1/2 of what programming does.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#137

Post by brulard »

999900000999 wrote: post #132
brulard wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First thing for wannabe enterpreneurs to learn is that allmost all your ideas are shit, and those that are good still need a lot of luck and the best execution to get somewhere. How many good ideas didn't work for first startups that came with it, but worked for someone else years later?

I'm fine with building out stupid ideas, for one of two reasons. One, we've been friends for a minimum of 5 years and I sincerely like you as a person. Two, you pay me. At least twice I've had situations where I basically need someone at a bar or something and within a week they're sending me a bunch of specs to program out something that will require a small team to do properly. Then when you do hack out a small pro…

I'm there with you. So many times I have heard this, what a great opportunity for me: build another guys (I have met 5 minutes ago) idea. It's simple, just a clone of (youtube|twitter|foursquare|...) with a little twist. It will certainly make me rich, because I can have a small fraction share of the project. Salary? No, that's for losers. We are going to make it big.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#138

Post by 999900000999 »

brulard wrote: post #137
999900000999 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm fine with building out stupid ideas, for one of two reasons. One, we've been friends for a minimum of 5 years and I sincerely like you as a person. Two, you pay me. At least twice I've had situations where I basically need someone at a bar or something and within a week they're sending me a bunch of specs to program out something that will require a small team to do properly. Then when you do hack out a small pro…

I'm there with you. So many times I have heard this, what a great opportunity for me: build another guys (I have met 5 minutes ago) idea. It's simple, just a clone of (youtube|twitter|foursquare|...) with a little twist. It will certainly make me rich, because I can have a small fraction share of the project. Salary? No, that's for losers. We are going to make it big.

Even then, if you want to at least cut me in as an equal partner I think I'd be more inclined to build out your project. But that's not what I get, I get you and your other partners keep 97% of it, and at most I'll get 2% to 3% for building the whole thing.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#139

Post by criddell »

Fripplebubby wrote: post #128
blenderob wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course you can. (I mean many of us can.) I've been doing it for years. I'm surprised that because you find it hard to "turn off" that part of your brain, it must be so for everyone else. It isn't. There are many of us who code for fun and do it with a totally different mindset with no "business thoughts" in mind.

Speaking for myself, the author's post resonated with me in two ways - both that it's hard to turn off the business side of the brain ("Could this side project be a startup? Should I build it this way just in case I decide to do that later?") but also that I find it hard to turn off the manager brain ("Is this really the right order to do things? Is this the most valuable thing I could be doing?"), too, other people…

It's easy to switch for some of us because the last thing in the world we want is more work and a startup is a lot of work. When I'm making something for myself it never crosses my mind that I could commercialize my hobby project because I know that's the fastest way to ruin a hobby.

Re: I just want to code (2023)

#140

Post by retropragma »

onion2k wrote: post #108
alkonaut wrote: post #59

Do many people hobby code with that entrepreneur mindset thing? Or sit down to play guitar thinking they want to make a hit and feeling bad if they just noodle some cover songs? What a miserable existence that must be. How do you get that way? Should we blame LinkedIn or what is it?

What a miserable existence that must be. This ignores the fact that people are motivated by different things. If you're someone who thrives on the intrinsic 'do this for the love and joy of it' motivation then you should absolutely just write code for the fun of it. But not everyone is like that. Some people need an extrinsic motivator to drive them to do things - that's usually money, or praise, or a punishment for…

Important to note that it's not a dichotomy as long as you're not an "extremist" of either side. Build for yourself and a big market. Take pride in competing at a high level. If you view "hustling" as an 'all work, no play' experience, you're engaged in absolutist thinking.
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