121–130 of 147 posts
And I hunched in its pixel mines unable to doze.
Sixty miles from home, loosed from its dream of life,
I ran into black tasks and the nightmare deadlines.
When I was canned they washed me out of the company with no equity.
(all apologies to Randall Jarrell)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is one of the areas where I think PG has it completely wrong. Sure if you're a 20-something with no kids/life and only care about your startup, you can code 24/7. But many of us don't fit into this stereotypical startup-founder box that PG and others have created. Some of us have kids, some have partners, some have ... a life! Does PG really want a bunch of code obsessed, single minded founders with no hobbies o…
"Does PG really want a bunch of code obsessed, single minded founders with no hobbies or life outside of their startup?" Yes. He wants his startups to work, eat, exercise and sleep. http://adii.me/broken-idols/
Makes me think of other idols with personal or business traits that are widely lauded but would cause many to ultimately fail.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is one of the areas where I think PG has it completely wrong. Sure if you're a 20-something with no kids/life and only care about your startup, you can code 24/7. But many of us don't fit into this stereotypical startup-founder box that PG and others have created. Some of us have kids, some have partners, some have ... a life! Does PG really want a bunch of code obsessed, single minded founders with no hobbies o…
> . Sure if you're a 20-something with no kids/life and only care about your startup, you can code 24/7. Disproven by https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/e092ee0b79b7 If anything, a 20 something is more likely to drive their body and their product in the drastic wrong direction, than somebody older, wiser.
Even if you're fresh out of school and have no kids, job, or friends that you care to spend time with, you probably shouldn't be coding 80 hours a week, even if your body and lifestyle permits it.
"My dear Daughter, Wait for me." Of all the things that might happen, much as we'd like it to be different, I can guarantee that this is one which won't happen. However upsetting it may be now (or looking back in the future), time isn't going to wait for you and all those firsts, all those events and experiences you miss, won't wait and won't happen again. We tell ourselves it isn't a choice but for many of us it is.…
Couldn't agree more. The post is very well written and reads like a poem, but the message is terrible on all counts. It sounds like a soldier being forced to go to battle crying for the family he leaves behind, where in fact it's entirely his own choices. And if it's some sort of an internal torment, being torn between two passions that conflict with one another, then I would suggest he gets a grip and decide which s…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think you're reading too deeply into what I said. Spending fourteen hours a day might well give you a greater chance of success than working six. But the chances of success are still so remote that it isn't worth ruining your life over. That's the part that PG is invested in - the idea that startup success is within the reach of anyone who works hard enough. It isn't. if we amend your second sentence to read, "whil…
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Where on earth did you get this idea? Success requires a lot of luck too. Not everything is within your control, no matter how many hours you put in.
"And a huge commitment of time is just your ticket to the game."
Then you overpaid. Are you listening to the scalpers?
I know a number of people who got great tickets to the game and lead normal, balanced lives.
I go to work for my family, and I go home for my family.
My wife and I have a pact: we'll live for our children and family but we'll always continue to develop ourselves. This way, there is never a resentment toward the people you love. I, too, work and go home for my family.
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Do you feel like your colleagues secretly look down on you because of this? I work with all single, younger folks, and while they're always supportive, I can't help but feel like I'm seen as not pulling my wait. Almost certainly a projection on my part, but I'm curious if others with strong family priorities feel the same.
I'll answer with a question; does that matter? When I had a kid, I worried what the other individuals at my level would think when I started taking vacation regularly, and paired my work day down to 8-5. I know that one, who I used to work incredibly closely with, looks down on my hours now, and believes that there is no way that I can still be productive in 8 hours instead of the 12 he pulls every day. After a bit,…
"My dear Daughter, Wait for me." Of all the things that might happen, much as we'd like it to be different, I can guarantee that this is one which won't happen. However upsetting it may be now (or looking back in the future), time isn't going to wait for you and all those firsts, all those events and experiences you miss, won't wait and won't happen again. We tell ourselves it isn't a choice but for many of us it is.…
My kids are all teens moving into 20s now. I work a job whose primary feature is working at home (the job is fine, but I do it to be home) so I can soak up some last time with them before they are out of the house. I now get to hear about crushes and new-found independence.
But, if I could do it again, I wouldn't make the mistake. There is time for all the things after your kids are older. If you are in a situation where you have to be gone to provide a roof, and there is no other way, have no guilt; but if you have the option, your future self and your kids will thank you for being there.
1 - Children 2 - Marriage 3 - Living arrangements / lifestyle (sans work) 4 - Career (but I take my career VERY seriously, I've been an executive for 9 years and I'm 33)
My routine
1 - Alarm goes off at 4:30 am 2 - I pickup around the house, toss in laundry as needed 3 - Catch the 5:45 am train to be into the office roughly @ 6:15 am 4 - I leave the office @ 5:30 pm to catch the 5:50 pm train to be home roughly @ 6:15 pm 5 - I play with the kids 6 - We then eat dinner together as a family 7 - I bathe and put both kids to bed around 7:30 - 8:00 pm 8 - I help pick up the rest of my house with my wife, it usually ends @ 8:30 pm (we talk a lot while doing this) 9 - My wife and I sit down on the couch/porch/etc and hang out for a few hours while I also work 10 - I'm usually in bed by 11 - 11:30 pm
If I have more work to do that evening I might have my laptop out while hanging out with my wife or stay up later. This is usually 4 nights out of the week.
Things that shift to "once in a while" given my priorities
1 - A full 8 hours of sleep 2 - Seeing that television show 3 - Seeing that movie 4 - Random nights out with friends 5 - Etc
These simply just take a back seat.
Things I never miss, and spend as much time with as someone working a standard 9-5 (although I do head into the office earlier than most)
1 - My kids (first and foremost) 2 - My wife 3 - My house 4 - My career and type of company I appreciate being involved with
To me, I keep the things that matter most and give up things that I found out I didn't really need (for context, I never really watched a lot of television).
This schedule works for me and I end up working 10 hours a day and never miss a beat with my kids.
PS. I also about twice a day, for 5 minutes, FaceTime with my wife/kids while at work. It's a nice break and a chance for me to see them during the day given I miss them in the morning.