Update: Thank you all for your help and blunt honesty in this matter -- I deeply appreciate it. Taking your advice I am wrapping up a few final projects I have outstanding and updating my resume. I will keep you all posted on the outcome of the situation with a blog post that I will post to HN later this month. Thank you again for your time, advice, and support.
Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
161–170 of 172 posts
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#162Earlier quoted context omitted.
They're enforceable in Pennsylvania, and poaching clients is one of the more direct and easy-to-prove ways to violate one.
datawalke can go nuclear and threaten to drop a dime on the IRS (and the state come to think of it). The boss may think he's being smart by using Simon Legree as his role model but it's set him up for some really severe real world retribution, very possibly including personal bankruptcy (see my earliest reply in this topic for details: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1446428 ).
Whether to do so may be a personal choice. But if you do, get out first; don't do it while you are dependent on the place. Based on your description, finding other work that pays at least as well should not be terribly difficult even in this market (the one caveat being to explain why your pay was so low; there was a recent HN conversation on whether to provide previous pay data and how to appropriately decline to do so, that may be useful). And you don't want to be job hunting while embroiled in such a scenario.
Based on your description, I would expect NOTHING from your current employer. Actions speak louder than words, and this guy's actions have "asshole" written all over them.
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#163Earlier quoted context omitted.
Please understand that I intend this as honest and helpful: you are completely, wildly deluding yourself. It is unlikely that someone with your background really knows even one or two of the tools you mentioned "like the back of your hand" by professional standards. It is completely implausible that even the most gifted and enthusiastic geek on the planet knows all of them to that standard at your stage in your caree…
You're right, of course. I would never list any of these skills on my resume, or tell any interviewer that I could do them. I would never try to get a freelance contract that requires these skills. They're completely self-taught, completely untested, and I have zero confidence that I really "know" any of them. When I said I have no proof—I meant I have no proof for myself, either, as an empiricist. Really, what it am…
It sounds like quite an accomplishment for your age - Silhouette is just trying to ground you in reality, but it's still praiseworthy.
Looks like you're pretty much into writing fiction? (or game scripts?) If that is your passion, then maybe you want to look into that?
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have to agree, dude you are making 26k a year. Starting salary for a fresh junior is 40k and that is just someone who know HTML, CSS and Photoshop let alone if they actually know a server side language. He is lying about the 1099 being cheaper, that is only true if you are an S-Corporation, right now you are responsible for a little over 15% for social security, something that you are not if you are W2 or a corp. $…
"As for the "he has not taken any pay" crap, he has equity, you do not your only reward is your pay check in that situation." Very correct. On several occasions I have been promised equity. At first as a compensation for my pay, and then as vested. However none of this ever came into existence. Every time I brought it up again he would keep putting it off. But then in any discussions for a raise or anything to that d…
Based on that additional piece of information I have some advice for you.
Take your boss aside, and tell him that you need his undivided attention for an hour or so, later today. Wait patiently until whenever he agrees to meet you. Then tell him that you believe the current situation is completely untenable. Tell him that your intention is to quit, immediately, today, and that you still believe that is the best approach. However, rather than necessarily abandon him, you will remain open to instead receiving a portion of the equity. Decide BEFOREHAND what portion of the equity you want, and make sure it's something that would make you feel GOOD about working for peanuts for a few years. Tell him to think about it overnight, and see what he says in the morning.
Based on what I've heard so far about his personality, I'll predict that he'll probably tell you to get lost. Or he'll beg you to stay without the condition. But stand your ground. Then go find a better job.
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#165Earlier quoted context omitted.
They're enforceable in Pennsylvania, and poaching clients is one of the more direct and easy-to-prove ways to violate one.
datawalke can go nuclear and threaten to drop a dime on the IRS (and the state come to think of it). The boss may think he's being smart by using Simon Legree as his role model but it's set him up for some really severe real world retribution, very possibly including personal bankruptcy (see my earliest reply in this topic for details: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1446428 ).
He could also heavy his boss into releasing him from the non-compete. A lawyer would be necessary here, as you don't want to cross the line into blackmail ...
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#166Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not to discredit you, but I get very suspicious when people merge C and C++ to C/C++. There really not the same language, you know. And I'm yet to physically meet someone who actually gets Haskell. I'm not very experienced, but more often than not, the devil lies in the details. Reading K & R is one thing, but being able to track down why your code sometimes gets a SIGILL is an important, perpendicular skill. Perhaps…
> And I'm yet to physically meet someone who actually gets Haskell. I've met someone who gets Haskell. His name was Wadler, mind. :-)
Nice!
How have you met him? Are you his student?
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#167Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just as a tangent, because I didn't want to bother with my own Ask HN: > Starting salary for a fresh junior is 40k and that is just someone who know HTML, CSS and Photoshop let alone if they actually know a server side language. I know, like the back of my hand: HTML, CSS, Photoshop (and Illustrator/InDesign/Premiere/etc), Javascript, PHP, Ruby (not specialized to Rails, but with a year or two of experience in it), a…
Sign up for a free account at elance.com and spend a day taking their tests. It's the fastest way I can think of to demonstrate that you know something. Even if you don't take any work through the site, you'll have some evidence of your skillset that you'll be able to show potential employers.
Hi nfriedly, this is Nicole from vWorker (formerly known as Rentacoder).
The tests available at Elance are the same tests available at many websites, including ours. As a vWorker, you can get ExpertRating certified with one or more skill tests available at http://www.vWorker.com/RentACoder/ExpertRating/ExpertRatingT... at no cost.
If you have any questions, please let me know. You can also call in to talk to a facilitator 7 days a week, or email us.
Nicole vWorker.com
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't have an answer to your question. I am suspicious that you have zero measurable experience. Are you sure? You are familiar with multiple web stacks, but don't have a single website you can point people to? You were a sysadmin for years and don't have a reference? You have zero contributions open source projects (others or your own)? I think you might be able to find something that hints at your experience.
> You are familiar with multiple web stacks, but don't have a single website you can point people to? Only my own homepage, which isn't proof of anything at all, since it's about as visibly complex as an FTP directory (despite doing some neat things with Heroku, Sinatra, and a makeshift Dropbox API underneath.) It used to be a byzantine mess with its own forums and wiki and project hosting—and utterly no reason for a…
You really should consider releasing your work. It's a great motivator to do more and release often.
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#169Earlier quoted context omitted.
datawalke, you know about elance right? No it isn't high salaries, but as your "rank" increases, your rate increases and there is a ton of work on there. I'm not saying do it full time, just walk out of this currently nonsense situation and do elance for a few months while you look for another full time job. You'll be amazed at how many opportunities there actually are in this world that don't suck once you start loo…
Second the Elance (or third, whatever). It's hard to compete with the third-worlders there, but man - you're starting from nothing. You should be able to double your income in your off time. As soon as you're making $500 a week - which will really not be a problem on Elance for anybody competent with a good grasp of the English language - quit. Just walk out the door. No notice, just at the end of the day, go to your…
> Then tell him your new hourly rate for consulting. Make it a good one.
Note: search around here for tips on choosing a good rate. And then factor in your history with them.
Re: Ask HN: Typical Startup or Abuse?
#170I don't know if my comment is valuable, but in Brazil we have some good laws to protected the employee, but the salary isn't so high as yours, from outside Brazil. (sometime those laws work well)
Here, it would be illegal...
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