If you wouldn't do your job for FREE, then QUIT. • Hacker News Board

Re: If you wouldn't do your job for FREE, then QUIT.

#21

Post by faisdotal » Fri, Aug 19, 2011, 7:09 PM UTC

gorbachev wrote: post #10

TomOfTTB wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of rewards that aren't monetary. The author isn't saying you should work in a job that provides no benefits. He's saying the benefit of money shouldn't be the primary one because other benefits (like fulfillment) are more important. So the point of the mental exercise is to help you find a job that is worthwhile regardless of the money you're paid to do it. So you'd still be rewarded for your efforts…

Those rewards won't buy me or my kids food, or pay the mortgage. I get the larger point the advice is supposed to make, but I'm sorry, I will never work for free. I will quit working, if I ever become wealthy enough to afford it, and I would tinker on my own "for free", but I wouldn't call it work at that point.

In reply to your last line: http://vimeo.com/26336202

Re: If you wouldn't do your job for FREE, then QUIT.

#22

Post by Vitaly » Fri, Aug 19, 2011, 7:16 PM UTC

daimyoyo wrote: post #9

I have read some bad advice here before, but this ranks among the worst. I would like nothing more than to spend my days sleeping in and my nights creating the next Angry Birds but I live in the real world. There's 14% unemployment here. I don't have my pick of jobs and until I have a major win with the software I create, odds are I won't. I'm very glad that this person has a Utopian philosophy that everyone should o…

I think you are taking it way too literally and narrow. I might not have chosen to work at this specific customer project if they wouldn't pay ;), but I would definitely program in my spare time if I had a non programming job. So, fo me, I do for the living what I would do for free anyway.

Re: If you wouldn't do your job for FREE, then QUIT.

#23

Post by gorbachev » Sat, Aug 20, 2011, 7:13 PM UTC

faisdotal wrote: post #21

gorbachev wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those rewards won't buy me or my kids food, or pay the mortgage. I get the larger point the advice is supposed to make, but I'm sorry, I will never work for free. I will quit working, if I ever become wealthy enough to afford it, and I would tinker on my own "for free", but I wouldn't call it work at that point.

In reply to your last line: http://vimeo.com/26336202

That's him. I'm not him.

I've got dozens of ideas that I've never had time to work on, because of long work hours and taking care of kids. I could work on those for years, easily. Some of them might become "work", if they caught on, but for the most part I'd be satisfying my curiosity and want to learn new things.

Re: If you wouldn't do your job for FREE, then QUIT.

#24

Post by faisdotal » Mon, Aug 22, 2011, 4:42 PM UTC

gorbachev wrote: post #23

faisdotal wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In reply to your last line: http://vimeo.com/26336202

That's him. I'm not him. I've got dozens of ideas that I've never had time to work on, because of long work hours and taking care of kids. I could work on those for years, easily. Some of them might become "work", if they caught on, but for the most part I'd be satisfying my curiosity and want to learn new things.

Fair enough.