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Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

nomadhouse.io

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Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#21

Post by archagon »

atudoute wrote: post #20
archagon wrote: post #19

I think this might make me sound like a jerk on this site, but my main concern with NomadHouse (and the previous TheCaravanserai) is that they sound very "startuppy". Is the goal to get VC funding and spin them off into multi-million dollar businesses? I fear this might infuse them with a particular kind of Silicon Valley culture that many of us would in fact like to get away from. There's also my fear that this stra…

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not into investors and I would like to keep this startup on the track to get more and more houses around the world.

That's good to hear! I'm very much looking forward to what you'll have in stock for London and Berlin.

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#22

Post by kristiandupont »

joshcrowder wrote: post #2

I'm loving the whole Nomad theme going around at the moment. Its made me really think about where I want to be and I have a feeling its going to be anywhere and everywhere. What I haven't seen much of is horror stories on working remotely -- specifically from people traveling around the world. Does anyone have any links?

I don't know if this qualifies as "horror", but I think it's a pretty good description of some of the negatives. I was sort of semi-nomadic for a while and I definitely recognize those feelings.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/2492064/mobile-wireless...

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#23

Post by ytNumbers »

kristiandupont wrote: post #22
joshcrowder wrote: post #2

I'm loving the whole Nomad theme going around at the moment. Its made me really think about where I want to be and I have a feeling its going to be anywhere and everywhere. What I haven't seen much of is horror stories on working remotely -- specifically from people traveling around the world. Does anyone have any links?

I don't know if this qualifies as "horror", but I think it's a pretty good description of some of the negatives. I was sort of semi-nomadic for a while and I definitely recognize those feelings. http://www.computerworld.com/article/2492064/mobile-wireless...

Thank you for that link. It was enlightening in ways I didn't expect. For example, I had no idea that airbnb was so broken:

"You'll notice that nearly all the reviews of places to stay on AirBnB are positive. Why? Because if you post a negative review, the host is likely to post a negative review about you in retaliation. And once you have a negative review as a guest, nobody will rent to you."

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#24

Post by lukasm »

atudoute wrote: post #20
archagon wrote: post #19

I think this might make me sound like a jerk on this site, but my main concern with NomadHouse (and the previous TheCaravanserai) is that they sound very "startuppy". Is the goal to get VC funding and spin them off into multi-million dollar businesses? I fear this might infuse them with a particular kind of Silicon Valley culture that many of us would in fact like to get away from. There's also my fear that this stra…

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not into investors and I would like to keep this startup on the track to get more and more houses around the world.

Consider making PR for my list https://github.com/lukasz-madon/awesome-remote-job

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#25

Post by contingencies »

JacobAldridge wrote: post #7
joshcrowder wrote: post #2

I'm loving the whole Nomad theme going around at the moment. Its made me really think about where I want to be and I have a feeling its going to be anywhere and everywhere. What I haven't seen much of is horror stories on working remotely -- specifically from people traveling around the world. Does anyone have any links?

I'd also be interested in any horror stories - I suspect they mostly don't get written. What I rarely see (which is part of my vision) is nomads successfully travelling the world with: 1) A Significant other / spouse 2) Children, and/or 3) Assets (eg, a house in their home country they rent out; a business that's worth something because it's more than them) [1] Most seem to be single people in their 20s / early 30s,…

Hey. I'm 32 with honestly zero regrets with lifestyle choices right now and checks on all points, though I don't own a business right now (have done) but am part of one that I'm proud of, which I actually prefer. Horror stories are the same everywhere: bureaucracy, backstabbing, corruption, dodgy infrastructure, human and hardware failures. You'd get it in the US as much as anywhere else, just in different measure.

You seem to be implying that people are likely to 'fail' in life by leaving the conventional career path. Remember: life and business are not a continuum, they're alternate perspectives and themes in the same experience that aren't mutually exclusive. In other words: all things in moderation.

As it happens, our family is on a two week beach bum episode (for me this means coding + swimming, for my wife it means variety of food and less hassles, for our young daughter the chance to swim and hear more languages at an age ideal for future cognitive development) in Thailand right now, and as it happens just had a fascinating chat with some decrepitude-avoiding random westerners, one was a fully accredited marine biologist turned career diver (over a decade) and the other ran a pest control business (migrated from fire engineering). With the former I discussed the potential of open ocean aquaculture, and with the latter the paleontology, biology and relative business environment (bureaucracy) between Thailand and mainland China. Try walking 5 minutes down the road in the US and getting conversation like that. While I wouldn't live here full time, plenty of interesting people you shouldn't casually dismiss do.

Finally, don't forget that 'net worth' is worthless if you're too old to enjoy it. If you're the sort of person who insures themselves before travel, religiously pre-books accommodation and consults their doctor-of-decades for potential immunization requirements before crossing a state border, then you could begin with a different kind of trip. A lot of people out here are risk takers that just weren't happy with the status quo. True, some of them fail on economic trajectory, but relative to never having taken a risk they certainly earn my respect.

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#26

Post by anonnomad »

JacobAldridge wrote: post #7
joshcrowder wrote: post #2

I'm loving the whole Nomad theme going around at the moment. Its made me really think about where I want to be and I have a feeling its going to be anywhere and everywhere. What I haven't seen much of is horror stories on working remotely -- specifically from people traveling around the world. Does anyone have any links?

I'd also be interested in any horror stories - I suspect they mostly don't get written. What I rarely see (which is part of my vision) is nomads successfully travelling the world with: 1) A Significant other / spouse 2) Children, and/or 3) Assets (eg, a house in their home country they rent out; a business that's worth something because it's more than them) [1] Most seem to be single people in their 20s / early 30s,…

throw-away account, because i'm a lurker.

There is some selection bias, the people that are busy doing stuff, typically don't write blogs "How to live with 500$ in chiang mai".

to give you some perspective: i've been doing the "nomad thing" for 5 years, although I'm not actively travelling around much, and mostly based in an asian city. All my belongings fits into one suitcase and 2 duffel bags - 80% is clothes. I am earning above 100$/hour coding, typically as remote contractor with the occasional onsite visit, not simple CRUD-stuff, but interesting and challenging work. I usually do full-time contracting with one client exclusively for about 1 year. Two years ago I spent 3 months exclusively on open source work (that itself opened up very attractive work opportunities itself). My living cost is also pretty much the same as back in Europe, but I live a life in luxury here.

Most DNs eventually "settle" down, and stay in one place for a longer period (think months), and everyone seems to have their default city/place, where they often return to because of friends, they like the vibe etc.

What I found was the close friends you have at late 20ies, you won't lose them, when you go back and most probably you will go back at some point.

Re 1: There's quite a few digital nomad couples, or people who find their significant other. 2) Children not so. Re 3: These all exist, but it's not (yet) the majority.

Re: Horror Stories: I have not yet heard of something worthy the title of a horror story, and i am somewhat involved in the digital nomad community.

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#27

Post by th0br0 »

ytNumbers wrote: post #23
kristiandupont wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if this qualifies as "horror", but I think it's a pretty good description of some of the negatives. I was sort of semi-nomadic for a while and I definitely recognize those feelings. http://www.computerworld.com/article/2492064/mobile-wireless...

Thank you for that link. It was enlightening in ways I didn't expect. For example, I had no idea that airbnb was so broken: "You'll notice that nearly all the reviews of places to stay on AirBnB are positive. Why? Because if you post a negative review, the host is likely to post a negative review about you in retaliation. And once you have a negative review as a guest, nobody will rent to you."

Not sure whether it was different in the beginning, but nowadays, reviews are only displayed after both parties have submitted theirs - or once the 14 day window for submitting reviews has expired.

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#29

Post by karmacondon »

JacobAldridge wrote: post #7
joshcrowder wrote: post #2

I'm loving the whole Nomad theme going around at the moment. Its made me really think about where I want to be and I have a feeling its going to be anywhere and everywhere. What I haven't seen much of is horror stories on working remotely -- specifically from people traveling around the world. Does anyone have any links?

I'd also be interested in any horror stories - I suspect they mostly don't get written. What I rarely see (which is part of my vision) is nomads successfully travelling the world with: 1) A Significant other / spouse 2) Children, and/or 3) Assets (eg, a house in their home country they rent out; a business that's worth something because it's more than them) [1] Most seem to be single people in their 20s / early 30s,…

The grass is always greener. For every person who wakes up one day to realize that they have built nothing in their lives, there's someone else who wonders what they could have accomplished if they hadn't settled down so early. Both of these thoughts are ultimately unproductive. Choose the life that's right for you and enjoy it as much as you can. No one ever looked back and said "I wish I'd spent more time sitting on the fence while trying to decide what to do."

In regards to the first part of your comment, I can't imagine travelling the world with a significant other and children. Perhaps in rare cases for a limited time, but it's hard to imagine that two people would want to participate in that lifestyle for the same length of time. It seems like part of the ethos of "travel" is a certain kind of freedom. Part of starting a family is responsibility, which is the opposite of freedom. Maybe the travelling family lifestyle will become more common as the world becomes more interconnected through technology, but that seems like that could still be awhile away.

Best of luck in your pursuit of the ideal life for you.

Re: Show HN: NomadHouse – A network of houses around the world for nomads

#30

Post by archagon »

th0br0 wrote: post #27
ytNumbers wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for that link. It was enlightening in ways I didn't expect. For example, I had no idea that airbnb was so broken: "You'll notice that nearly all the reviews of places to stay on AirBnB are positive. Why? Because if you post a negative review, the host is likely to post a negative review about you in retaliation. And once you have a negative review as a guest, nobody will rent to you."

Not sure whether it was different in the beginning, but nowadays, reviews are only displayed after both parties have submitted theirs - or once the 14 day window for submitting reviews has expired.

Yes — this has fortunately been fixed. I still have the problem where if the hosts are really nice but the place isn't great, I don't want to leave a bad review and shut down their operation. As a result, I mostly leave reviews when the stay was amazing in some way.
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