Recently I have tried approaching a few good developers through their blogs about various matters including advice on how to go about some projects I'm undertaking but I am surprised at the unfriendly responses I have received. Maybe I have been going about it the wrong way but it got me thinking; Shouldn't the guys whose work we look up to be keen on what some of us young aspiring developers have to contribute to the community? I mean sure, we don't have the experience or skills some of these guys have(yet) but we still have some ideas that are viable with the right technical skills to back them. If any of them want to reach out and help nurture some potential talent, it may very well benefit all them in the end, whether financially or in terms of new ideas and experiences.
Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
1–10 of 25 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#2Have you tried IRC? (freenode, etc.)
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#3Maybe I'm misunderstanding what it is you're trying to do, and I may be misjudging your approach entirely (so forgive me if I'm way off the point), but I would recommend trying things yourself more. That is, ultimately, a huge aspect of "hacking". It's also, IMO, a much better way to learn most of the time, than being taught by someone else.
Another reason I say that is that, as someone who helps run a programming-focussed forum, I can tell you that hacker's generally help other hacker's once they've seen some of their work. I'm sure the bloggers you have contacted get a ton of requests for help by people who have made no attempt to solve their own problems - naturally they might assume the same of you, and thus gave you a rude response. When you've contacted these developers, have you shown them what you have so far? Have you asked very specific questions about the things they talk about in their blogs? If you haven't, and if those aren't the kind of questions you want to ask, I think you should try another medium. Forums, IRC, etc...
edit: There's also a huge amount of discussion on this site about start ups, independent projects, hacking, etc... Just be a regular reader - you'll learn a lot!
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#4In their defense if they are active developers or entreps then they are likely extremely busy. As much as they'd love to help you, there are a lot of people like yourself asking for their time too, you're not the only one. So don't take their response too personally, you can likely try again later.
Egotists aside, I think you should evaluate their response and you might considering changing your approach if they are active and not retired. Being a mentor takes time, so think about ways for it to be mutual. Can you provide knowledge or assistance to their current goals before asking for it back? You may also try to show what you've done and that there is more substance to you than just an email talking about lofty ideas — ideas are a dime a dozen, it's all about execution.
Another general rule of thumb, don't send a 4-paragraph email professing your admiration or telling them things they probably already know, do your research. Sometimes this is received well, sometimes it is not. I had someone approach me recently, sent 3 paragraph email suggesting & instructing me how to embed an iPhone bookmark icon into a clients' website; I've been making iPhone apps for 8 months. I've made this mistake a few times trying to prove my smarts, use your Draft folder which is a good habit to get into anyway.
Sometimes you need to get in front of them. If you see them at a happy hour or developer meetup, approach them. Seeing people try is a lot more meaningful, it improves your odds and first impression. Twitter is great for this, follow people that interest you — they'll often RT developer meetups and speaking events.
Lastly, pick a mentor that compliments you and do your research. Finding a good fit should naturally improve your chances of connecting with them.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#5"...surprised at the unfriendly responses I have received..."
It's hard to comment on responses I haven't seen, but let me take a guess.
Perhaps the responses aren't so much "unfriendly" as "tough programmer love". They already know something you may have not learned yet. That all the mentoring in the world will make little difference. What really makes a difference is rolling up your sleeves, jumping into your work, and figuring it out. That's probably how they got to be where they are, and I'm guessing that's what they want you to do.
I'd be less concerned about finding a mentor than finding a place to go with questions, if you ever need it. For now, be your own mentor; find your own programming voice first, then the questions you ask may get "friendlier" responses.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#6As the others are saying it's not clear what your trying to achieve when getting in touch.
For example if you ask a direct question in a field they have experience I am sure they would help!
You talk about experience and skills: I assume your looking to learn such things from them. Perhaps your askign for them to send you some general tips? That is likely to get you a stock rejection (indeed the fact they reply at all says a lot about them - in a good way :D). It's the kind of question you should probably ask somewhere like here (or similar places more specific toyour field). Giving general help is a pain.
For example I often get emails asking for my advice on entering the forensics field. Most I send a very quick stock email (along the lines of - no time to write much but here are a few pointers). Those that show an actual interest by having done some background reading / having worked on some code or something get something more meaningful and personal (and usually a whole conversation).
Why not post the sort of thing your sending and we can give you some pointers too :D
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#7Maybe I'm misunderstanding what it is you're trying to do, and I may be misjudging your approach entirely (so forgive me if I'm way off the point), but I would recommend trying things yourself more. That is, ultimately, a huge aspect of "hacking". It's also, IMO, a much better way to learn most of the time, than being taught by someone else. Another reason I say that is that, as someone who helps run a programming-fo…
Thank you for your comment. In retrospect I may not have adequately detailed the work I have done so far, so that explains the responses.On the other hand though,sometimes its not just about the programming aspect of a project,for instance, if I have an idea for an app that I want to develop, but my technical skills limit me, it would be nice to have people to bounce the idea off and have it implemented. In short, great projects are made up of good product vision and adequate technical skills to implement it, some people have the two skill sets while in other cases its not that easy to bring two different people with the complementing skills together.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#8Sure, drop me a line. All my contact info is in my HN profile. I might not be the most experienced, funded, awesome hacker but I can pull my weight in a few areas and answer things I know the answer to, or at least point you in the right direction.
We've all been there.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#9Learning new skills is hard work. But thanks to the internet - its easier now than every before. Find a good forum to ask questions. There are lots of video lectures (paid and free) on various technologies. If you want to get someone to coach you, then prepare to compensate them. That is why taking a class is often a good idea because the instructor plays the role of a coach. Ultimately, coding on your own is the fastest way to learn. But its also often the most frustrating, at first :)
Re: Ask HN: Are there any good hacker mentors out there?
#10I'm amazed that no one has suggested the most obvious answer: a lot of developers are just plain rude!
Even if you don't want to help someone, there's a polite way of wording it. Unfortunately a lot of people in the SW dev community haven't figured that out yet.
@Rayzar: They're under no obligation to help you, but at the same time they don't need to be unfriendly about it either.