OMG I laughed so hard with this post. You're a very funny writer!
The side hustle from hell
131–140 of 146 posts
Re: The side hustle from hell
#132Having non-technical founders who failed to even outsource their project is an enormous red flag. Nobody there knew how to make the product a reality and if it is you who is doing 100% of the work, then you obviously deserve 100% of the equity. "Having an idea" is not worth equity. If you thought the idea was great, there was an obvious golden opportunity for you, none of the people there are going to make this into…
In fairness I think "non-technical" needs to be clarified a little. I can easily envision (and have seen) founders who are not themselves actual software engineers but who have some background in project management or otherwise managing tech teams hiring an offshore team and moving very quickly to a viable product cost efficiently. In fact I'd bet it's at least a coin-flip that this profile would actually be more eff…
> I think "non-technical" needs to be clarified a little
> non-technical founders who failed to even outsource their project
Re: The side hustle from hell
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
Throughout my long career in the tech industry, from established giants like Oracle to a hyper-growth pre-IPO Airbnb, I've observed a consistent pattern: engineers rarely advance more than one level above their initial hiring position, regardless of their performance or tenure. The only exception were juniors who could rise to a senior. But senior to staff, or whatever you want to call it is almost unheard of unless…
Just over 10 years in space stuff, I have noticed exactly the same thing.
What kind of "space stuff"? Spacex/blue origin/nasa?
Re: The side hustle from hell
#134That was such a great read. And way too relatable at parts. Loved it. Makes me want to write down my startup stories one day, even if it's just for friends and family.
Thank you :D
Re: The side hustle from hell
#135Extremely relatable. I was the first technical hire for a startup that ultimately failed last year. I did at least have a (below market) salary, and there were no outsourcing headaches, but I really did spend an inordinate amount of my time trying to perfect a product that the founders had no idea how to market. I certainly learned a lot, though it made me a little cynical about startups and the tech industry in gene…
I find it's all about hitching your wagon to the right horses
Re: The side hustle from hell
#136Loved this article! And I appreciated the BCS references - especially the subtler ones like the use of the word 'chicanery'
I like to think we are the only 2 people who noticed :D
Re: The side hustle from hell
#137Liked this: "Startup pitch competitions are mostly a waste of time—validation comes from talking to users and iterating, not from impressing a judge."
Thank you :)
Re: The side hustle from hell
#138The first red flag is a startup that is contingent on a two sided marketplace... damn that's a tough place to be!
Yeah it turns out those are hard to go to market with, who would have thought
Only way it can work is if you can bootstrap something hyperlocal to start with (think Uber in San Fran)
Re: The side hustle from hell
#139Rather than being a cautionary tale, I actually think this is the kind of misadventure that everybody should have. You learn so much about the real world from a failed startup where nothing is done right (at least I did). Your early 20s are the perfect time to do it with little risk. Lots of painful memories I laugh at later. Highly recommended.
Yep this is exactly my summary at the end! I'm glad I sat on this story a few years to let it develop and let the positive career consequences play out.
It's an entertaining and well-written story. After reading it I momentarily entertained writing up my own similar misadventure, but even 15 years on, I think I'd find it too difficult to write about. I'm glad you were able to pull it off though!
Re: The side hustle from hell
#140This isn't so much about the Author's story but the space. He is correct that marketplaces are hell, and especially auto repair market places. I was one of the several devs that went through trying to make Openbay work (a US based market place for auto repair). We actually did have service providers signed up and we did have a way to acquire customers who wanted auto repair. So you had the illusion of product market…
> Ultimately people tend to have a fairly personal relationship with their local mechanic. This is the money line. And it goes for all skilled trade work. Mechanics, plumbers, building contractors, roofers. Most of the people doing this work are just surprisingly bad at it, especially for how much they charge for it. It takes a LOT of time and effort to find someone good. I'd even lump doctors and dentists into this.…
The law of averages. Most in any field are going to be mediocre. It's unavoidable.