Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps • Hacker News Board

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#41

Post by jonpaul » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 1:30 AM UTC

retube wrote: post #23

pavel_lishin wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But how many other people have done that? Just because something is possible doesn't mean it's probable. And I think a guy that figured out how to make $100,000 a year is a pretty good source of business advice.

Sure - it's anecdotal. But right off the top of head, how about Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Alan Sugar. > And I think a guy that figured out how to make $100,000 a year is a pretty good source of business advice. It wasn't a 100k/year. It was a 100 total, over several years, and that's only his word for it. These things tend to be exaggerated. But anyway, so what if he did? I could probably make a 100k a year sell…

I would venture to guess that 100k over a few years in Indonesia is pretty good money. Especially since it was part time too.

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#42

Post by jonpaul » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 1:31 AM UTC

sperry wrote: post #32

there wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if you're not trolling, you should do a reddit AMA. not sure how you'd get a gold star, though.

I'm not trolling. I'll consider doing a Reddit AMA.

Please do, as your story would truly be fascinating.

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#43

Post by juicebox » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 1:33 AM UTC

Drug dealers make some of the best apps.

Heard of Farmville or World of Warcraft?

WoW even borrows the first-hit-is-free, by encouraging each purchaser to share the software with their friends. The entire universe of WoW is a streamlined treadmill, for keeping players addicted. From depreciating gear, inflation, achievements, status symbols... it has it all.

Tongue-in-cheek, I know. But I can see how combining the drug dealing experience with video games could lead to insights such as Blizzard and WoW.

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#44

Post by metra » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 3:52 AM UTC

retube wrote: post #19

What about Richard Branson? He's done _exactly_ that. Throughout his career he has frequently started new businesses in totally new markets. Now his empire includes trains, planes, spaceships(!), record shops, music publishing, banking, telecommunications etc etc. In fact I would argue that people that have that business "spark" could pretty much make a success of any market if they were minded to. Whilst of course i…

Arnold Schwarznegger popularized bodybuilding, became a successful movie star and is now governor of the most populated state in the United States.

I think the point should be experience in a field is extremely valuable given all the time that had to be invested. It really should stop there.

The second conclusion - that you ought not to jump fields because of the experience advantage that you would be losing - is false.

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#45

Post by mitko » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 4:08 AM UTC

Success in an area is not transferable.

Counter-example: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#46

Post by mahmud » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 8:42 AM UTC

teaspoon wrote: post #37

marcus wrote: post #14

Actually drug dealers and developers are the only two groups that call their clients -> users... so maybe they should. Plus the holy grail of game development is making the game addictive

Contrary to that old saw, I don't believe I heard anyone called a "user" in five seasons of The Wire.

They call them junkies, like programmers call them "lusers".

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#47

Post by access_denied » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 9:25 AM UTC

marcus wrote: post #14

Actually drug dealers and developers are the only two groups that call their clients -> users... so maybe they should. Plus the holy grail of game development is making the game addictive

game design programming;

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#48

Post by GrandMasterBirt » Mon, Jun 07, 2010, 2:36 PM UTC

* Success at Web Apps != Success at Mobile Apps.

While true, more important is

Good all-round knowledge in solving problems that users have every-day by using techology is 100% transferable between all computer and non-computer solutions. If you are good at finding niches in the market where users need help, how the hell is that no transferable?

Now maybe writing webapps does not mean I can write great mobile apps, need some training.

Re: Drug dealers shouldn't make iPhone apps

#49

Post by maxklein » Tue, Jun 08, 2010, 11:05 PM UTC

hristov wrote: post #35

maxklein wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're going back to the beginning every time. If you had stayed with your first profession, who is not to say you could now be owning a series of ranches around your area?

I will say that. If you look at the economics of the situation it is very very unlikely for a ranch hand to ever be able to purchase a ranch.

But it's likely that ranch owners were once ranch hands.