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The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

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Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#81

Post by remote_phone »

ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

The only question to answer is, “are you happy?” I’m almost 50, I don’t have a high profile job, failed at getting into Google 5 times, but just bought my wife a $20,000 grand piano for our anniversary without thinking about it. My kids make me happy, my house mortgage is less than 1X my household earnings, my work pays well and I have a great Work Life Balance.

We all die within 120 years, and if we are cremated, there will be no trace of us left in this universe. Who cares about anything except our happiness and our ability to make those around us happy during this short time we are alive?

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#82

Post by asdffdsaqazxs »

gadders wrote: post #35
ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

#Humblebrag

When did hn become inundated with so many hipster creative types ??? Where is our nerd haven ?!!

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#83

Post by danielecook »

theunixbeard wrote: post #56
danielecook wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the most important thing to optimize for is time. Move closer to work, get a roomba, buy a second monitor, etc. For me anything I can do to get extra time is a huge payoff because I'd rather spend my time learning something new, cooking, traveling, or cycling/running. I recently switched jobs and am moving next month to reduce my commute. I'll have an extra 7 hours a week to do whatever I want and I cannot wa…

Now imagine building an online lifestyle business such that after it’s setup you can spend 0 time on it (for the most part) and still earn enough to pay (reasonable) living expenses. That’s what I’m driving towards.

is there a list of these kinds of businesses out there? What is your business gonna be?

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#84

Post by Reedx »

ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

I'm this way as well and for the longest time was worried I was handicapping myself.

Until I read "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big"[1] which makes the strongest argument I've seen for having a "talent stack" and combining skills that aren't typically combined. Each skill increases your odds and essentially this boils down to Good + Good > Excellent. You can leverage a combination of average skills to great effect.

The author describes himself as mediocre at art, decent at writing a joke and having business experience... not that noteworthy in and of themselves, but mixed together resulted in Dilbert.

1. https://www.amazon.com/How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-eboo...

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#85

Post by max_effort »

ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

I’m the same age, with the same questions, and the same uncertainty. So you’re not alone.

Maybe it has to do with the growing realization that we don’t have unlimited time? I’m not sure.

The premise of your movie looks fun. Where can I watch or rent it?

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#86

Post by stevespang »

gct wrote: post #30

Remember when Gates and Ballmer tried to screw Allen out of his shares because his productivity had gone down due to cancer? https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-...

Yes I do, and Bill Gates essays/talks about how great Allen was appear to be grasping for redemption of some form . . .

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#87

Post by ultrasounder »

Reedx wrote: post #84
ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

I'm this way as well and for the longest time was worried I was handicapping myself. Until I read "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big"[1] which makes the strongest argument I've seen for having a "talent stack" and combining skills that aren't typically combined. Each skill increases your odds and essentially this boils down to Good + Good > Excellent. You can leverage a combination of average skills…

Was also quoted by Naval Ravikant's podcast with Nivi, based on his Tweet storm by the title of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75tUgLxzE7Q. The entire Podcast can be listened to here; https://nav.al

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#88

Post by walrus01 »

zrobotics wrote: post #41
samstave wrote: post #10

Paul allen owned an island in the san juans - when i used to fly to my mothers on Orcas we had to land first at paul allens airport... There was a beauty and a freedom i used to feel from that experience: There was no tower, nor staff; just a landing strip and we would fly in - do our thing and then take off again. It was awesome... and i loved it, because we talk about america being the “land of the free” but we are…

Owning a private island definetly requires you to be super-wealthy, but aviation doesn't necessarily require that. My dad wouldn't even qualify as upper-middle-class, and he has a private grass strip for an ultralight. In many parts of the country, 40 acres isn't that expensive (my father paid 40k for the land, the entire place was under 200k. And many airports aren't towered, I guarantee there is an untowered airpor…

Depends where the private island is. There's definitely people with private islands in the Broughton archipelago, and other areas in between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast/BC Mainland, where the assessed value of the small island + home is less than a dumpy old 2BD house in East Vancouver.

If I had $1.25m in a bank account right now I could go write a check for a crappy early 1970s vintage Vancouver Special, on a narrow lot somewhere off Fraser Street in east van, or for a 3000 sq ft craft built house on a private island with its own off grid power system. Not talking about places with their own airstrip. Islands small enough to be accessible by boat or floatplane only.

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#89

Post by mevile »

nostromo wrote: post #74
gct wrote: post #30

Remember when Gates and Ballmer tried to screw Allen out of his shares because his productivity had gone down due to cancer? https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-...

Remember when Allen was a patent troll? https://www.wired.com/2010/08/paul-allen-patent-lawsuit/ Someone who became one of the world’s richest men for only a few years of work deciding to shake down a huge chunk of the web in a cash grab really isn’t a good look.

> Someone who became one of the world’s richest men for only a few years of work

The shorter time it took to make his wealth the better it looks because less time means better efficiency.

It's not like you're entitled to wealth because of how long you've worked. This is an idea that has lead few to financial success I imagine. Privileges and salary based on time keeping a seat warm somewhere is a union/government thing, not a common private business policy. In private business it's about the value you create, and Paul Allen and the early Microsoft team ended up creating quite a bit and did so relatively quickly.

Re: The side of Paul Allen I wish more people knew about

#90

Post by bitcoinmoney »

remote_phone wrote: post #81
ggambetta wrote: post #12

> Paul was driven by an incredible curiosity his whole life. Even when we were just kids, he seemed to be interested in just about everything. I can identify with this. I've founded a gamedev company, taught Computer Graphics, and worked at Google and Improbable as a SWE; but in the middle of all this I wrote a novel, I recently quit my job to become an actor/filmmaker ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10232800 ), and I…

The only question to answer is, “are you happy?” I’m almost 50, I don’t have a high profile job, failed at getting into Google 5 times, but just bought my wife a $20,000 grand piano for our anniversary without thinking about it. My kids make me happy, my house mortgage is less than 1X my household earnings, my work pays well and I have a great Work Life Balance. We all die within 120 years, and if we are cremated, th…

As someone who wants to be financially independent, how did you make so much such that household income > mortgage? Do u just live in a crappy neighborhood? Even on Midwest states tech yearly salary is about half of a decent house?
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