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Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

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Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#51

Post by jtheory »

eksith wrote: post #9
sker wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both approaches aren't mutually exclusive. I give priority to what you and the article are saying, but once you realize that, there's no reason why it can't be complemented by a high paying job. 40 hours of work a week, if you manage to find something you (half-)like, is a minor inconvenience compared to the alternative of not being able to enjoy many of the things our modern world has to offer.

Problem is that many of the things the modern world has to offer fall conveniently between the short pauses of sanity we have to enjoy them in that 40 hours of work a week. And excluding work, we also need time for life as well. Things like shopping, laundry, cooking (if we do that at home) and fixing things that break. I hear plumbing does this quite often. Almost as much as code. The modern world has created an atm…

This is a bit of a tangent, but no, it's not plumbing; it's the living things that take all the time.

I'm sure experiences vary, but since 1998 I've rented houses and apartments, spent a year helping to run a B&B with self-catering apartments, and have owned a house for 7 years now, and in all that time I've probably spent a day or two on plumbing-related maintenance.

But taking care of a dog or two? A lawn? A garden? Fruit trees? Children? That's where the serious time goes.

I wouldn't advise anyone to avoid taking on organic commitments (ha ha), but it's all about balance. Don't ever get a new puppy (10-15 year commitment) when you or your partner is pregnant. Don't buy a big house with a pool and a beautiful yard and vegetable garden unless you know who's going to be maintaining all that.

Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#52

Post by InclinedPlane »

Some of this advice is good but I think it ultimately misses the mark it's aimed at. It's interesting how "follow your dreams" and effectively "don't worry about fulfilling your potential" can simultaneously fill the same cognitive space despite being diametrically opposed.

I wish I had more time to reply here so if these thoughts are muddled or incomplete: my apologies.

Ultimately I think advice like this is possibly a net disservice to people. The end result tends to be people who accept living a life without ever trying very hard at anything. The crux here is that societal pressures on achievement, status, and wealth are onerous and by and large should be rejected but if that leads to nihilism or something close, which it often does, that's not much better. There are many people today who are just not trying very hard, because trying hard has been associaated with corporate bullshit and classism and so on. But many people are capable of some degree of amazing things, and those things take effort and perseverence. Not necessarily sacrifice ofall of one's free time or health or anything like that but it will require effort and time. And without a drive to achieve one can miss out on the potential of creating great art, great tools, or even becoming a great parent.

So don't give up on the idea of fulfilling your potential just avoid getting suckered into climbing into a hamster wheel just because you think that's what everyone around you wants. Take the time to make your life choices carefully and intentionally but don't be a nihilist by accident and don't avoid greatness merely because it's hard.

Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#53

Post by moron4hire »

sker wrote: post #6
Afforess wrote: post #4

I wish more people in software followed this kind of advice. I see posts about air hockey or ping-pong tables and fully stocked mini-fridges as if that is an acceptable replacement for ones free time and best creative years. Are we children, so easily fooled by the shiny, bright candy in the checkout aisle? Worse yet those who take the corporate-ladder type jobs at a big corp like MS, and sacrifice their friends, fam…

Both approaches aren't mutually exclusive. I give priority to what you and the article are saying, but once you realize that, there's no reason why it can't be complemented by a high paying job. 40 hours of work a week, if you manage to find something you (half-)like, is a minor inconvenience compared to the alternative of not being able to enjoy many of the things our modern world has to offer.

Yeah, but if you worked 20 hours a week for yourself instead of 40 hours a week for the man, then you could easily make just as much money and have tons more time to enjoy it.

Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#54

Post by moron4hire »

kamaal wrote: post #18
Afforess wrote: post #4

I wish more people in software followed this kind of advice. I see posts about air hockey or ping-pong tables and fully stocked mini-fridges as if that is an acceptable replacement for ones free time and best creative years. Are we children, so easily fooled by the shiny, bright candy in the checkout aisle? Worse yet those who take the corporate-ladder type jobs at a big corp like MS, and sacrifice their friends, fam…

>>Your kids won't thank you if they don't even know who you are and have never spent time with you. Most kids, the moment they grow up will rather like you pay for their college fees, take care of them while they are settling down and you leave them a good inheritance. May be small kids would like you spend time with them, but even teenagers are smart enough to understand the importance of financial priorities in lif…

The guy probably has a plan that he just isn't sharing. The lack of details doesn't mean their aren't details, and he doesn't need you criticizing him for not thinking things through.

Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#55

Post by moron4hire »

unimpressive wrote: post #16

At this point "follow your dreams", "live a satisfying life" and other variations thereof are cached wisdom. When you go to a high school class and hear people who admit they didn't go where they wanted in college telling you the same thing, you'll notice something like an epistemic code smell. Unless the proportion of people working for "the man" has changed significantly in the last...whenever this meme became popu…

Actually, most people don't tell you to follow your dreams. Most people tell you you'd be crazy to give up a "good paying job", i.e. one of those ones where they keep the vast majority of profit from your work effort for themselves. Most people get angry and defensive at the slightest suggestion that you're doing something different from them, that you have a different set of priorities that doesn't allow for you to take the same path as them.

Re: Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice

#57

Post by graeme »

mgbmtl wrote: post #43
graeme wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you a fan of rob Walling? If not, you should look him up: http://www.amazon.com/Start-Small-Stay-Developers-Launching/...

Very cool. This is exactly the type of book I was looking for ideas on how to better describe my current situation and for ideas on where to go next.

Awesome. Just noticed you're in Montreal too. My email's in my profile if you want to talk. I'm not a developer but find most of the advice still applies.
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