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I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

onhand.pro

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Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#113

Post by tezclarke »

vlinx wrote: post #112

I think taking the technician job is brilliant and exactly how you find the 'better way' for vertical SaaS, similar to how EquipmentShare understood the deep inefficiencies in heavy equipment rental. It's

They killed it. "A better way to rent"

Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#115

Post by tezclarke »

Jbird2k wrote: post #97
DrewADesign wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but as a recent white->blue collar convert, (union metalworker,) tech workers are usually far less qualified than your average vocational high school graduate, way less physically capable, and waaaaay less tolerant of the sort of workplace unpleasantries in these types of jobs at the entry level. Your tech experience gets you pretty much zero advantage, and there are lots of very…

Blue collar guy here who started working construction at 13 years of age. I concur that many white collar people won’t have an easy time adjusting to blue collar jobs. Some people do switch and thrive. Many however don’t have the mental fortitude to push through the misery of a non stimulating brain numbing endless job that could kill somebody if you stop paying attention. There are also a lot of geniuses who might b…

A lot of people have been sold a lie about uni education (and willingly bought it in a lot of cases).

Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#116

Post by system2 »

tezclarke wrote: post #92
system2 wrote: post #35

How long was the employment at the pest company? At any point, did anyone treat you like you were stealing their business? I thought about this approach, but I chickened out many times because of the possible confrontation.

No, and to be absolutely clear, you should not be dishonest or fabricate. I was up front that I was exploring getting back into blue-collar, coming off the closure of my startup, and that I wanted to get into sales but wasn't sure if this would be a long term thing as it's a totally new industry for me. We were aligned on giving the technician job a try before moving into sales, and it's common for people to take tha…

Thank you. This story is a reminder that all these niches we pass on assuming they are not worth pursuing are actually thriving quietly in the background.

Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#117

Post by truetraveller »

tezclarke wrote: post #114
BigBalli wrote: post #111

That's wild. I literally just launched https://pestpro.app and find this extremely fascinating.

AI slop - you've sent me the same message on linkedin and you vibe coded that two minutes ago.

Hey! I have no absolutely no clue who OP (BigBalli) is. I checked this guy's profile out. He's a member since 2012, I don't think he meant bad at all.

I'm personally anti-AI. I checked out his app, and whether vibe-coded or not, it looks very well done. And the app actually has both offline mobile apps + web apps. And it's free? And FWIW, pestpro.app was registered ~1 month ago.

Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#118

Post by pocksuppet »

tezclarke wrote: post #115
Jbird2k wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blue collar guy here who started working construction at 13 years of age. I concur that many white collar people won’t have an easy time adjusting to blue collar jobs. Some people do switch and thrive. Many however don’t have the mental fortitude to push through the misery of a non stimulating brain numbing endless job that could kill somebody if you stop paying attention. There are also a lot of geniuses who might b…

A lot of people have been sold a lie about uni education (and willingly bought it in a lot of cases).

IF you're reading Hacker News, you're probably not one of those people. You're probably someone for whom a university education, and working in software, are actually good fits.

Re: I wanted to build vertical SaaS for pest control, so I took a technician job

#119

Post by Paracompact »

tezclarke wrote: post #94
thaumasiotes wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I briefly worked for someone who was funded by Imagine K12, just before Imagine K12 merged into Y Combinator. He used his funding to rent four apartments in San Francisco, which he then sublet, personally, through Airbnb.

I know exactly who you’re talking about

Name and shame?
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