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> I’ve published a dozen articles ... build software with thousands of paying customers. ... work on open source Python. ... read almost 40 business books, and

by jkot 10y ago

> I’ve published a dozen articles ... build software with thousands of paying customers. ... work on open source Python. ... read almost 40 business books, and I live and breathe HackerNews. Why not start your own business or become CTO? Why work for someone less experienced?

pjmlp 10y ago
Risk, amount of work hours?
yetihehe 10y ago
Not everyone want's to be a CTO, I'm thinking about that but I would prefer to be a programmer. I'm only 32.
- wruza 10y ago
  32 too. Recently I suddenly got CTO-like responsibilities and at first glance it was not what I wanted to do. There was fear whether employees will understand and do it right way. Otoh, I think it is what we actually should do -- merge our experience and vision into the team at high level, because it allows to build something bigger and greater than just yourself. As I read recently in some book, good leader doesn't control things, but provides correct context of thinking, allows others to participate in their way to the common goal. I missed these context constraints when I was young, so many efforts simply lost in unnecessary details.
Insanity 10y ago
Starting your own business always entails some risk. Some people are not comfortable taking that risk, surely if you have a family to support it might not be feasible. This depends a bit on the country where you live, but where I live you are liable for your company - which means that what you own privately is shared. I don't know how it's like where he lives, but the risk might not be worth it. It also takes a huge amount of dedication and work to make it work, I can imagine that at his age, his priority would lie with his family. (Hell, I'm a decade younger and my priority lies there, wife + kids should be a priority). Of course, the CTO option seems good in that case :-)
- jkot 10y ago
  Consulting business is pretty low risk. I started my own business when my wife was pregnant. I found it much more family friendly than 9-5 cubicle job.
  - Insanity 10y ago
    True that seems to be low-risk, and 9-5 cubicle might not be family friendly either. But I'm working for a company where I can choose my own hours to a certain degree (in between 8-12, leave after 8 hours with one hour break). So I can be home rather early. Plus work from home means that I can easily take care of making dinner etc. But I didn't consider a consulting business and actually I have no idea how your day looks like in that area. Care to elaborate, I'd love to hear about it :-)
    - jkot 10y ago
      Location independence, 60% time without work...
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
- amyjess 10y ago
  > Of course, the CTO option seems good in that case :-) CTO typically means lots of travelling, which isn't really good if you're prioritizing your family (well, unless you can bring your family with you, and you probably can't). At half the companies, the CTO is the head of all engineering, and at the other half, the CTO is responsible for evangelizing the technology. In both cases, but especially the latter, you are going to be the public face of the technical side of the company. Expect lots of travelling to conferences and other speaking engagements, and expect the sales team to call you in on sales trips to help sell the product to high-rolling customers. If your company has multiple offices around the world, you're also going to be expected to tour the offices as well. All this time travelling is time you won't be spending with your family.
cauterized 10y ago
Because not everyone has the skillset or temperament to be a CTO, nor an interest in the work involved? Because not everyone can stomach the risk involved in entrepreneurship?
plinkplonk 10y ago
I don't think you deserve the downvotes, it seemed like a genuine question. Becoming CTO (or in general, moving into management) is not for everyone. That said, in practical terms it behooves the early/mid thirties developer to have some kind of plan to mitigate age discrimination. Consulting is a good half way point.
- jkot 10y ago
  > two early twenty year olds.... Even though their job advertisement called for the passionate, opinionated, and entrepreneurial-type, they really wanted someone who could become that under them. Both were solid, but according to LinkedIn, neither had much experience outside college. I just dont understand why someone with so much experience would apply for entry level position, under some college greenhorns.
cyberferret 10y ago
Not as easy as it sounds. I am 49, and been programming for over 30 years now. I've just written a few SaaS apps and trying to get them to a level where they can earn me enough money for my wife and I to semi retire and work from anywhere. However, getting VCs and other investors to take an interest is proving very difficult. As soon as I say that I am (a) a single founder and (b) just shy of my 50th birthday, I never hear back from them. It seems that 3 decades of experience and running my own software development & consulting company writing apps for small business just isn't as cool as a group of young twenty somethings coming up with an esoteric idea out of left field that may or may not be profitable?!?

by jkot 10y ago

pjmlp 10y ago

Risk, amount of work hours?

yetihehe 10y ago

Not everyone want's to be a CTO, I'm thinking about that but I would prefer to be a programmer. I'm only 32.

wruza 10y ago
32 too. Recently I suddenly got CTO-like responsibilities and at first glance it was not what I wanted to do. There was fear whether employees will understand and do it right way. Otoh, I think it is what we actually should do -- merge our experience and vision into the team at high level, because it allows to build something bigger and greater than just yourself. As I read recently in some book, good leader doesn't control things, but provides correct context of thinking, allows others to participate in their way to the common goal. I missed these context constraints when I was young, so many efforts simply lost in unnecessary details.

Insanity 10y ago

Starting your own business always entails some risk. Some people are not comfortable taking that risk, surely if you have a family to support it might not be feasible. This depends a bit on the country where you live, but where I live you are liable for your company - which means that what you own privately is shared. I don't know how it's like where he lives, but the risk might not be worth it. It also takes a huge amount of dedication and work to make it work, I can imagine that at his age, his priority would lie with his family. (Hell, I'm a decade younger and my priority lies there, wife + kids should be a priority). Of course, the CTO option seems good in that case :-)

jkot 10y ago
Consulting business is pretty low risk. I started my own business when my wife was pregnant. I found it much more family friendly than 9-5 cubicle job.
- Insanity 10y ago
  True that seems to be low-risk, and 9-5 cubicle might not be family friendly either. But I'm working for a company where I can choose my own hours to a certain degree (in between 8-12, leave after 8 hours with one hour break). So I can be home rather early. Plus work from home means that I can easily take care of making dinner etc. But I didn't consider a consulting business and actually I have no idea how your day looks like in that area. Care to elaborate, I'd love to hear about it :-)
  - jkot 10y ago
    Location independence, 60% time without work...
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
amyjess 10y ago
> Of course, the CTO option seems good in that case :-) CTO typically means lots of travelling, which isn't really good if you're prioritizing your family (well, unless you can bring your family with you, and you probably can't). At half the companies, the CTO is the head of all engineering, and at the other half, the CTO is responsible for evangelizing the technology. In both cases, but especially the latter, you are going to be the public face of the technical side of the company. Expect lots of travelling to conferences and other speaking engagements, and expect the sales team to call you in on sales trips to help sell the product to high-rolling customers. If your company has multiple offices around the world, you're also going to be expected to tour the offices as well. All this time travelling is time you won't be spending with your family.

cauterized 10y ago

Because not everyone has the skillset or temperament to be a CTO, nor an interest in the work involved? Because not everyone can stomach the risk involved in entrepreneurship?

plinkplonk 10y ago

I don't think you deserve the downvotes, it seemed like a genuine question. Becoming CTO (or in general, moving into management) is not for everyone. That said, in practical terms it behooves the early/mid thirties developer to have some kind of plan to mitigate age discrimination. Consulting is a good half way point.

jkot 10y ago
> two early twenty year olds.... Even though their job advertisement called for the passionate, opinionated, and entrepreneurial-type, they really wanted someone who could become that under them. Both were solid, but according to LinkedIn, neither had much experience outside college. I just dont understand why someone with so much experience would apply for entry level position, under some college greenhorns.

cyberferret 10y ago

Not as easy as it sounds. I am 49, and been programming for over 30 years now. I've just written a few SaaS apps and trying to get them to a level where they can earn me enough money for my wife and I to semi retire and work from anywhere. However, getting VCs and other investors to take an interest is proving very difficult. As soon as I say that I am (a) a single founder and (b) just shy of my 50th birthday, I never hear back from them. It seems that 3 decades of experience and running my own software development & consulting company writing apps for small business just isn't as cool as a group of young twenty somethings coming up with an esoteric idea out of left field that may or may not be profitable?!?