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Tell HN: Hello

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Re: Tell HN: Hello

#91

Post by jarfil »

cturner wrote: post #33
Lorento wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not easy to tell how smart someone is by meeting them. That tends to bias you towards social abilities. IQ tests help to level the field by testing abilities that we can't easily observe just by knowing someone. Not that IQ tests are accurate at all either. But I just mean to say that feeling that someone is smart can just mean they're smart at appearing smart and may not have the same abilities at a broad range…

I had a cab driver a couple of weeks ago. We got talking, and I said I am a developer. He said he knew some c#. He seemed slow but I humoured him - asked how he got into it. He then started talking about machine code programming on the c64 and showed an encyclopedic knowledge of the sprite system, the way to build event loops and different approaches to laying out large programs.

Some people with high IQ are smart enough to say "I want to be a cab driver", and do it. They probably are happier in their jobs, than many others who just do whatever "is expected" of them.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#92

Post by Mahn »

joesmo wrote: post #84
dr_hercules wrote: post #81

How about working as an employed programmer first - learn from colleagues - and then after three years reconsider founding a company. I mean sorry, but if you worked so far as a jail guard then you probably don't have enough experience for you ambitious dreams yet. Honestly though ... this text seems so generical and naive that I have trouble believing its authenticity ...

I don't think the experience is necessary. He wants to found a company not be an excellent engineer. That means as long as he can get a prototype out, it doesn't matter if it's all spaghetti code. It's startup code and it will be shitty. He can then hopefully raise money and hire people with at least a few years experience to build things out properly (hopefully). I've seen successful startups started by people who c…

Very important point here, and often overlooked. Real world runs on shitty code, people like Zuckerberg didn't spend his early facebook days discussing on message boards what is the best javascript framework or the best way to build testable code; he shipped, put it out there and attracted people. It was most likely spaghetti code as Zuckerberg did not have any prior professional experience as an engineer, but it worked.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#93

Post by downandout »

Mahn wrote: post #89
downandout wrote: post #79

Before you do this, consider the following question: would you rather spend your time learning to build the Uber app, or learning the skills to build Uber (the company)? Those are two truly different skill sets, and the latter is far more rare and valuable. The ability to raise money, build teams for a variety of functions, budget, and execute on an audacious vision is far outside the realm of most software engineers…

In my opinion, learning the skills to build "Uber the company" will get you nowhere without a compelling product first, whereas if you have a compelling product you can be a complete idiot when it comes to business and still have a chance to learn and make something out of it. By all means don't focus solely on development if your goal is to build a startup, and in particular be aware you need to attract users once y…

If you have business skills, you can always find/team up with people that have a compelling product, or team up with others others to bring your compelling product to life through code while you build the business. In this case, it appears that OP has an idea and wants to build the product himself, starting from scratch with no coding knowledge. I am saying that he should team up with someone to accomplish the actual coding, and he should focus on the business.

BTW, I am saying all of this as a fairly accomplished software engineer that has grown to understand that business skills are far more important than the programming skills I have spent nearly 20 years working on. I find myself agreeing more and more with this statement from Chris Sacca, who is a billionaire that knows a thing or two about successful tech startups [1]:

"...most of the value is created by the execution, not the idea itself."

[1] http://lowercasecapital.com/prospecting/

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#94

Post by kaa2102 »

Congratulations! The journey is long and challenging but totally worth it. Approach the startup world with the intellectual curiosity of a visitor in a foreign country. There are some great ways to learn how to code. Instead, I've found it beneficial to Learn How to Do X to Accomplish Y. There are numerous programming languages, APIs, platforms, devices, technologies, methodologies, etc. Focus on the X that helps you do Y. Udacity, Khan Academy, Coursera, and W3Schools.com offer a great start (some are free) for programming. A good start is learning front end development: HTML, Bootsrap. CSS, Javascript.

Find some like-minded individuals. You can join tech meetups, Google Developer groups, etc. Good luck on your journey my friend! Keep building!

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#95

Post by leesalminen »

Alex3917 wrote: post #90

That timeline would be doable, but Spring 2019 wouldn't be bad to shoot for either. Here is an alternate 3.5 year plan: - Year 1: Learn to code full time. Later in the year, start applying for jobs as a developer. - Year 2: Get a job as a full stack dev. Devote nights and weekends to improving your development skills as much as possible. - Year 3: Get a cofounder, and work nights and weekends on your project. - Year…

This plan is very similar to my current path. I ended up taking a couple extra years on "Year 2" to really hone my skills.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#96

Post by joshmlewis »

krisdol wrote: post #87
downandout wrote: post #79

Before you do this, consider the following question: would you rather spend your time learning to build the Uber app, or learning the skills to build Uber (the company)? Those are two truly different skill sets, and the latter is far more rare and valuable. The ability to raise money, build teams for a variety of functions, budget, and execute on an audacious vision is far outside the realm of most software engineers…

As someone who can already build the app, how do I get the skills to build Uber the company?

By doing and creating value. The premise of starting a company is simple, solve a problem that ideally you and others have which in return creates value enough that they'll pay for it. It's a million times easier said than done, and execution is the most valuable part of any idea because it's also the riskiest and most difficult part. Social apps have slightly different economics but the premise is the same.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#97

Post by tete »

daSn0wie wrote: post #77

Intelligence doesn't matter as much as you think: http://www.paulgraham.com/founders.html Comparing yourself to others is always a losing game. Compare yourself to where you were when you started this journey, and you'll see that you've come pretty far. Get ready for the rollercoaster (emotionally) ride, and good luck!

Sadly money appears to matter though:

http://qz.com/455109/entrepreneurs-dont-have-a-special-gene-...

However, doesn't mean you can't simply ignore that and just go for it.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#98

Post by SolaceQuantum »

cturner wrote: post #33
Lorento wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not easy to tell how smart someone is by meeting them. That tends to bias you towards social abilities. IQ tests help to level the field by testing abilities that we can't easily observe just by knowing someone. Not that IQ tests are accurate at all either. But I just mean to say that feeling that someone is smart can just mean they're smart at appearing smart and may not have the same abilities at a broad range…

I had a cab driver a couple of weeks ago. We got talking, and I said I am a developer. He said he knew some c#. He seemed slow but I humoured him - asked how he got into it. He then started talking about machine code programming on the c64 and showed an encyclopedic knowledge of the sprite system, the way to build event loops and different approaches to laying out large programs.

Cab drivers are really some of the most interesting people. I've spoken to a cab driver that claimed to have been a refugee from a country in Africa- told me how he missed how brightly the stars shone in comparison with the light pollution of the American city. He was a reporter that got in trouble with his government and had to get out.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#99

Post by dr_hercules »

joesmo wrote: post #84
dr_hercules wrote: post #81

How about working as an employed programmer first - learn from colleagues - and then after three years reconsider founding a company. I mean sorry, but if you worked so far as a jail guard then you probably don't have enough experience for you ambitious dreams yet. Honestly though ... this text seems so generical and naive that I have trouble believing its authenticity ...

I don't think the experience is necessary. He wants to found a company not be an excellent engineer. That means as long as he can get a prototype out, it doesn't matter if it's all spaghetti code. It's startup code and it will be shitty. He can then hopefully raise money and hire people with at least a few years experience to build things out properly (hopefully). I've seen successful startups started by people who c…

he worked in a prison you funny person ... what qualifies him to found tech company? right - nothing!

and spaghetti code that turns useful requires even more experience to maintain.

Re: Tell HN: Hello

#100

Post by rickhanlonii »

y4mi wrote: post #49
akerl_ wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

~"Don't make the mistake of defining yourself by your job, just know that your job makes you better than these other people with a different job"

> ~"Don't make the mistake of defining yourself by your job, just know that your job makes you better >> in understanding and handling people > than these other people with a different job" you can't ignore the middle, as that is the defining part of his sentence. every sentence is hypocrisy if you remove important parts

> ~"You can't ignore the middle, every sentence is hypocrisy."
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