Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

salon.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 181 posts

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#81

Post by sleepychu »

mothsonasloth wrote: post #78

I will be trying remote working soon, this whole culture of co-location is the reason you have SF, London, NY etc. I moved away from London because its economically and socially tough. With a remote job I will be able to make a London salary but live wherever I like, enjoy the outdoors and live life how I see fit. SF, Madrid, Berlin, NY are sparkly places where a lot of people (bar the lucky few) end up trapped.

Have you lined this up already? Do you have examples of places paying London salaries to remote employees?

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#82

Post by sleepychu »

nikanj wrote: post #62
jen729w wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...and now you're a 30-year-old rich guy with no mates who knew nothing of his 20s. No thanks.

There's mountains of broke 30-year olds with no mates who did nothing in their 20s. We try to maintain a false dichotomy where the alternative to working extremely hard is partying, travelling the world, and of course tons of sex. Most people don't do either.

If you're not going to do something awesome why not work hard?

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#83

Post by AndyNemmity »

themoat wrote: post #2

I know the author wised up and moved on, but I would rather work construction for the rest of my life than be a programmer and live like this. I worked for a startup for a couple of years that really got it right. The CTO really wanted a certain lead developer as his first hire (they had previously worked together) and the lead dev said (paraphrased, of course) "Nope. Not interested in working more than 40 hours per…

I got my break working for a startup that went big, but without any equity. The CEO asked me to work on his next startup, and I did so.

I worked every hour, of every day for over a year to try and make things successful. It was never enough, and I felt like a failure regularly. It destroyed my personal life, and I still feel like there are ramifications from it.

Finally they questioned the hours I was billing, from the minor level of pay + equity, they didn't feel the output was enough. I quit on that point, having given so much, and then to have to defend myself.

It was a disaster, that in some small part ruined my life. I mean, I'm fine. Life is great, but it took some measure of life out of me.

They ask me to come back regularly, and I always say no. They have twice said they'd give me more equity with no strings attached just because of the work I had done, and then never said anything about it again.

I have no idea if the equity will ever amount to anything, but I learned my lesson. It just isn't worth it, under any respect. Sacrificing for some dream that isn't in your hands is a fools errand.

They can talk about whatever millions they want to from your equity. It can never make up for the destructive aspects you do to yourself to obtain it.

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#84

Post by AndyNemmity »

a_imho wrote: post #73
themoat wrote: post #2

I know the author wised up and moved on, but I would rather work construction for the rest of my life than be a programmer and live like this. I worked for a startup for a couple of years that really got it right. The CTO really wanted a certain lead developer as his first hire (they had previously worked together) and the lead dev said (paraphrased, of course) "Nope. Not interested in working more than 40 hours per…

What is so hard about saying no to overtime? Just turn off the computer and go home.

If you are the sole person responsible for the main feature of a startup, and it isn't completed, you know that the only thing you can do is put every hour you have into it to try and make it work.

That is what is so hard.

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#85

Post by l33tbro »

Probably worth mentioning that this article is from 2016, but I'm sure not much has changed.

In fact, this article may have been inspired by a much longer piece from the previous year (1) which focuses on the kinds of dropout teens that Peter Thiel would later come to encourage to head west. Fascinating read.

(1) https://stories.californiasunday.com/2015-06-07/real-teenage...

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#86

Post by sokoloff »

sleepychu wrote: post #82
nikanj wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's mountains of broke 30-year olds with no mates who did nothing in their 20s. We try to maintain a false dichotomy where the alternative to working extremely hard is partying, travelling the world, and of course tons of sex. Most people don't do either.

If you're not going to do something awesome why not work hard?

I don’t think you wanted two “not”s in that comment (or else I don’t understand; please expound).

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#87

Post by sokoloff »

sleepychu wrote: post #81
mothsonasloth wrote: post #78

I will be trying remote working soon, this whole culture of co-location is the reason you have SF, London, NY etc. I moved away from London because its economically and socially tough. With a remote job I will be able to make a London salary but live wherever I like, enjoy the outdoors and live life how I see fit. SF, Madrid, Berlin, NY are sparkly places where a lot of people (bar the lucky few) end up trapped.

Have you lined this up already? Do you have examples of places paying London salaries to remote employees?

London salaries are surprisingly low to this US-based employer with employees in a handful of cities around the world.

I was expecting “NYC salaries” and instead found more like “Atlanta salaries” which I can’t figure out how the economics works for London-based employees.

Given that, lots of US employers with remote work available will be able to hit London salary level I think.

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#88

Post by mothsonasloth »

sleepychu wrote: post #81
mothsonasloth wrote: post #78

I will be trying remote working soon, this whole culture of co-location is the reason you have SF, London, NY etc. I moved away from London because its economically and socially tough. With a remote job I will be able to make a London salary but live wherever I like, enjoy the outdoors and live life how I see fit. SF, Madrid, Berlin, NY are sparkly places where a lot of people (bar the lucky few) end up trapped.

Have you lined this up already? Do you have examples of places paying London salaries to remote employees?

Its not concrete yet but I've been searching for about 4 months now for a suitable remote job.

The main hurdles have been that many remote jobs in the US are restricted to US only.

Other things have been tech stacks; I am a Java/Go/C++ with SQL person, whilst most remote companies use Ruby/Python/Node.js with NoSQL.

Check wfh.io , remoteok.io

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#89

Post by garganzol »

Nice write-up. Honestly speaking I'm pretty glad the system works that way. It puts a good filter on people who want to enter the tech without the real interest in tech. Money is just one part of scheme. Another part is value. If you want get a lot of money but not ready to bring a whole lot of value then the writing is on the wall.

Re: My life with 12 programmers, 2 rooms and one 21st-century dream (2016)

#90

Post by mothsonasloth »

sokoloff wrote: post #87
sleepychu wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you lined this up already? Do you have examples of places paying London salaries to remote employees?

London salaries are surprisingly low to this US-based employer with employees in a handful of cities around the world. I was expecting “NYC salaries” and instead found more like “Atlanta salaries” which I can’t figure out how the economics works for London-based employees. Given that, lots of US employers with remote work available will be able to hit London salary level I think.

You are correct, a lot of US companies are setting up shop in the UK, some examples are JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley in Glasgow.

Its a happy medium from going full outsource to Asia

Post reply on HN