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Start a company. Just pick some interesting idea you're actually capable of executing and just start building it. Don't worry so much about whether you will ac

by mtrimpe 17y ago

Start a company. Just pick some interesting idea you're actually capable of executing and just start building it. Don't worry so much about whether you will actually make money, to keep it a hobby, but make it in such a way that you might, to keep alive hopes of actually making a living out of it. Doing it that way will allow you to make it however you please and to make it as beautiful as you want. The fun part is that along the way you will encounter critical areas you never thought about, but which are quite interesting to do once (setting up a build infrastructure, migration etc.) Just make sure your code stays a thing of beauty, something so solidly engineered that you're truly proud of it. Don't rush things but take the time to make them 'just right'. That way you'll have had a great time writing it, and if your company ever gets off the ground you'll have an amazing code base to start off with.

VolatileVoid 17y ago
Start a company. Just pick some interesting idea you're actually capable of executing and just start building it. Ideally, I'd do just this. I'd leave my job, take a few months and do my own thing. The problem is that I'm not prepared to take that risk; I have a good job, it pays well, and it supports my family. If I walk away and succeed (where success >= the same amount I'm making now), awesome. If I fail, however, I've left a job I'm good at, and that I'm comfortable at. Perhaps that's the crux of the issue right there. I don't want to take the risk of putting all my eggs in one basket, but I find it difficult to get inspired if I'm not fully invested. Thus, if given the option after a long day of work to either watch Top Chef with my wife or do something interesting in Python, Top Chef+Wife wins every time.
- mtrimpe 17y ago
  Somehow I forgot to mention "as a side project" in my original post. Your job will most likely always be shitty, at least I know it is for me. No company I can find excites me and the ones that do generally don't stay exciting for more than a year, after which you'll be hunting for a great job for several years before you find another one. If you don't want to work on it in your spare time, your only choice is to find a kick ass job that pays enough to keep your family happy. If you figure out how to do that; let me know... ;)
- gcheong 17y ago
  Could you do something for 15-30mins before or after watching Top Chef? If so, try it for a week and see how it goes. I think you can get surprisingly far with short bursts of activity. Also, how about taking some of your vacation time - maybe a week to jumpstart something?

by mtrimpe 17y ago

VolatileVoid 17y ago

Start a company. Just pick some interesting idea you're actually capable of executing and just start building it. Ideally, I'd do just this. I'd leave my job, take a few months and do my own thing. The problem is that I'm not prepared to take that risk; I have a good job, it pays well, and it supports my family. If I walk away and succeed (where success >= the same amount I'm making now), awesome. If I fail, however, I've left a job I'm good at, and that I'm comfortable at. Perhaps that's the crux of the issue right there. I don't want to take the risk of putting all my eggs in one basket, but I find it difficult to get inspired if I'm not fully invested. Thus, if given the option after a long day of work to either watch Top Chef with my wife or do something interesting in Python, Top Chef+Wife wins every time.

mtrimpe 17y ago
Somehow I forgot to mention "as a side project" in my original post. Your job will most likely always be shitty, at least I know it is for me. No company I can find excites me and the ones that do generally don't stay exciting for more than a year, after which you'll be hunting for a great job for several years before you find another one. If you don't want to work on it in your spare time, your only choice is to find a kick ass job that pays enough to keep your family happy. If you figure out how to do that; let me know... ;)
gcheong 17y ago
Could you do something for 15-30mins before or after watching Top Chef? If so, try it for a week and see how it goes. I think you can get surprisingly far with short bursts of activity. Also, how about taking some of your vacation time - maybe a week to jumpstart something?