10 ms·

Steve's story - Google employee #13

440 points by paul 16y ago

aothman 16y ago
Sounds like he was in the right place at the right time. I think it would be a mistake to read anything into his story other than "be really lucky". EDIT: There were lots of people just like him that weren't crazy-successful. It's wonderful that he put himself into a place where he could succeed, but that's only necessary, not sufficient, to realize that success. He deserves credit for buying the ticket and taking the ride, but beyond that it's luck.
- lucindo 16y ago
  +1
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
- paul 16y ago
  We were all in the right place at the right time. There is something to be said for making an effort to put yourself in the "right" place though.
  - nostrademons 16y ago
    Where do you think the "right" place is right now? The problem I always have is that the right place isn't really apparent until years after the decision about where to be is made. At the time, there're many places that look appealing, and little reason to choose one over the other. And then it's only with hindsight that one of those becomes a big success and the rest become has-beens. I was thinking about this today when responding to a Reddit post whining about how there're no good high-paying jobs left in this country: http://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/eyu1o/the_unemployment_rate_is_it_right_or_wrong/c1c170c http://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/eyu1o/the_unemploym... Of course that's false. However, when I think about how I got my good high-paying job, the answer that comes to mind is "pure dumb luck". I happened to like computers when I was a teen in the 90s, and I happened to stick with it through the dot-com bust in the early 2000s, and so now that these CS jobs are paying six figures easily, I've got close to ten years experience in skills that are very hot. But I wasn't really thinking about professions or salary at the time; I was thinking "Hey, this seems sorta interesting, I wonder what else I can find out..."
    - paul 16y ago
      YC. Of course I'm biased, but on the other hand I'm betting on it :) Even companies that don't make it often lead their founders to other great opportunities (e.g. at other yc companies). I also believe there's something surprisingly powerful about witnessing success first hand.
  - prakash 16y ago
    Who's the VP of BD Steve refers to? Thanks!
    - bl4k 16y ago
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Kordestani http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Kordestani
- InfinityX0 16y ago
  You should instead read this story as "work really hard, take risks, and luck will find you". Whether that luck is Google or some other pretty successful venture is of course somewhat random - there is no doubt, though, that success - the vague, abstract idea of it - will find you eventually.
  - kingkilr 16y ago
    Maybe "luck" will find you, but we need to acknowledge the scope and scale of his luck. Being willing to work hard and being good at what you do will probably ensure you a decent job, but I don't think you can generate luck to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
  - talbina 16y ago
    If you were talking to him in person, you wouldn't start you sentence off like that. It's not really needed.
    - InfinityX0 16y ago
      Good point, I was slightly irritated by it so it caused the internet-reaction.
- JanezStupar 16y ago
  There's plenty of right time left. Just gotta figure or make the right place.
  - noahc 16y ago
    Geography is becoming increasing irrelevant. I live in a small 855 person town in the middle of America. I just found an awesome job, working with an awesome company doing really interesting work. Don't use the place as an excuse.
    - alex_c 16y ago
      Point taken, but for what it's worth, being in the US already puts you ahead of the game in many ways.
- Harj 16y ago
  There's definitely luck in being involved with a Google size outcome but I can't believe that someone with his approach to life wouldn't consistently achieve a significantly above average level of success.
- fwez 16y ago
  "Chance favors the prepared mind" --Louis Pasteur
- jimbokun 16y ago
  "EDIT: There were lots of people just like him that weren't crazy-successful." I'd be curious to hear examples of people who spent a day wearing a sandwich board with their resume in the financial district, and did all the other things this guy did, and did not end up achieving some level of success. He reminds me of Chris Gardner, who inspired the movie Pursuit of Happyness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness
- minalecs 16y ago
  agree.. as theres something to be said about inspirational stories, I think the real lesson should be about taking calculated risks. I mean the same could be said about many actors giving up everything and coming to Hollywood looking for fame. There are many success stories, but probably a lot more failure stories.
azrealus 16y ago
awesome and inspiring story. thank you for sharing.
shawnee_ 16y ago
Imagine a place where early-stage technology companies can get inexpensive development capital from the pooled investment dollars of individuals who trade their stock directly over the Internet. (from the document TechnoEquity)
nostrademons 16y ago
I like this because it resonates with Paul Buchheit's earlier blogpost about not letting ego fear rule your life: http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/10/serendipity-finds-you.html http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/10/serendipity-finds-y... Yes, this guy got superbly lucky. He also put himself into a position where it was possible to get superbly lucky, and then capitalized on that luck as well as possible.
- noahc 16y ago
  I spent the last 2 or 3 years, wondering what made people successful. I've since read about all the popele who I find successful. Here's the conclusion I've come to. 1. They ship things. 2. They work on something everyday. If you do those two things you will be successful.
  - Retric 16y ago
    Sounds like someone that only looked at successful people. It's human nature to pant simplified story's about how something came to be, but the reality is a lot of things have to go right to make a successful person. First off Don't get hit by a bus etc.
    - noahc 16y ago
      So what would you suggest instead then? We could sit here and think of all the reasons why that isn't true. You need to not get hit by the bus, not be a moron, have lungs, etc. Obviously, if you get hit by the bus its game over and it doesn't matter. The same with all the above. The point is that we know that successful people ship and work on things everyday. Maybe that's not enough to be a success, but it is the one thing they all have in common. Let's imagine a world, where all you make is crap. If you shipped crap one of three things will happen. You will become prolific, as in your crap will be everywhere. Look at Shepard Fairy's "Obey Giant." There's nothing special about that, but when you're everywhere it's hard to ignore you. Another option is that you actually improve. An awesome case study in this is go read iwillteachyoutoberich.com. You can tell from his first post to his posts today Ramit has really improved. The last option of course is that you neither improve or become prolific and you suck at life in general. Hopefully, you can avoid this, but if you can't at least work on things you think are important and fun. Most people hate their jobs, so it's not google payout success, but it is personal success.
aditya 16y ago
I wonder if this could've happened outside the Bay Area though. This is part of the reason the area works so well as a hub, because it really does maximize serendipity of the life-changing kind, since almost everyone in the area has been in a similar situation before.
- nedwin 16y ago
  Forget about the Google element. Forget about the technology element. It's an example of someone who was relentlessly resourceful. If he wasn't in the Bay Area he would have found an incredible opportunity somewhere else, always throwing himself into the path of oncoming opportunities.
redthrowaway 16y ago
I wonder how different his story would be if he was still at Google today. I understand that there was a pretty magical feeling at Google in its pre- and immediately post-IPO days, and I'd be interested to hear from someone who lived through that and is still at Google now.
- nostrademons 16y ago
  My VP is one of those double-digit-employee-ID people, and he recently said "People ask me what it was like to work at Google in the early days. This [the making of Google Instant] was what it was like to work at Google back then." So in at least some parts, that spirit still exists at Google. The problem is that it's much harder to find well-defined problems that are ambitious and yet feasible.
  - redthrowaway 16y ago
    You know, as awesome as Google Instant is in principle, I never find myself using it. The chrome omnibox is just too useful, although I get that's pretty much Instant anyway.
    - nostrademons 16y ago
      I'm the same way...I often find Instant actively distracting as a user, particularly since usually the only time it triggers for me is when I'm editing some numbers on a Calculator search. (For everything else, there's the Omnibox.) But I'm not a typical user. Chrome's market share is what? 7-10%? That means that 90-93% of Internet users don't even have an Omnibox. Anyway, I think his point isn't necessarily that Instant is awesome (though I'd imagine he'd think it is), it's that the making of Instant was awesome, and included the same sort of focused teamwork in pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal that early Google had. [Side note: from everything I've heard, Chrome itself is one of those awesomely-managed projects that contains a large team of people working towards an ambitious goal. Much like early Google.]
      - 16y ago
chopsueyar 16y ago
How much did he cash out for?
Roritharr 16y ago
When looking at these stories i always wonder if my computer science bachelor degree will really help me when i get in 2 years... My time spent learning algorithms and mathemathics that bore me with lack of practicality could be spent working on my own projects... What do you think, is a degree in CS important for someone who is able to employ himself and (soon) others?
- jimbokun 16y ago
  Instead of envisioning yourself as this guy, envision yourself as Larry or Sergey in the story. Sure, they needed to learn to hustle, too, but knowing algorithms sure did help them a lot getting to where they are now.
- simonsarris 16y ago
  Just a thought, thinking very far ahead, but if you are in a position to employ others, would you want them to have a CS degree? How you answer that may help you.
  - Roritharr 16y ago
    For those interested in my personal answer: My experience as a student of CS is that you are taught principles that will most likely stay the same for the next 10-40 years. Besides that, every talented student i've met so far figured most of these principles out for themselves before deciding to study cs. Either they learned it out of own interest or just concluded them out of the it world they were presented at the time. There are a lot of students at my university who put lots of hard hours into learning the cs just because they hope to earn a lot at a stable job with the degree and i don't judge them for their goal, but i wouldn't be interested as an employer in one of them because from my experience the ideas needed for innovation aren't born in a grinding mind.
    - vilya 16y ago
      From your earlier post though, you're only 1 or two years into your CS course? If that's your exposure then I'd agree: the stuff you learn in the early part of a CS course is the stuff that a bright person could figure out for themselves. It's the basics. The basics are important of course, but that's not all there is to it - and that's why the course doesn't just end after the first year. Also, regarding your final paragraph, innovation isn't the only valuable attribute. The best innovators aren't necessarily the best finishers. A well rounded team needs both to deliver a good product. I know you were giving your opinion; just trying to provide an alternative point of view.
yread 16y ago
Over a two-week period, I left messages on every single voice mailbox I could get at that company. I was never able to get a human on the phone or get a call back I thought this would be about Google
tedjdziuba 16y ago
Cool story, bro.
dools 16y ago
This is a story of a true hustler - and I mean that in a good way. This guy got out there and hustled for a job. He hustled his way into Netscape by persistently calling and eventually "hacking" his way into contact with a well connected business person. Then when he was employed at Google, he went out there and hustled dollars that made them actually get some turnover. It's a story we don't hear very often. It's a story about the people that make the money rather than the people that make the technology. In a world where so much of the technology sector seems to be predicated on the idea that you build something cool, get users and sort the "money stuff" out later, it's easy to forget that, at some point, someone's gotta get out there and actually make some god damned money. Having attempted to sell various technological services of my own for the past 4 years, I can whole-heartedly say that in my experience, building the technology is the easy part. Being able to monetise it is a magical gift! I'd also like to add that I find it pretty far fetched to refer to this success as "luck". Being a good salesman, being a good hustler, is all about being there. That's why CRM systems are such a vital sales tool - you need to make sure that every few months you call your prospects, and if you don't sell to them then you make an appointment to call back in 3 months and so on. Whether you're selling vacuum cleaners or selling your own services as an employee or contractor, you can't refer to every successful sales as "luck" - it's success based on persistent action. If anything you'd have to refer to people who hustle well and don't succeed as being unlucky, rather than the other way around.
- yardie 16y ago
  Good salespeople are awesome and I am in awe at their ability to do things that most hackers don't realize. Remembering names, building relationships, and convincing people to give them money. It's very easy to disparage what they do because from the outside it seems trivial. But I attended a sales meeting once and I'm never taking these guys for granted ever again. To put it another way, their entire salary is based around selling your work. As a programmer that pulls a normal salary, that means they have more confidence in what you do than you. Also, company hierarchy almost always dictates that the further you are from the money the more precarious your role is. You could lay off all the engineers tomorrow and the company would limp along for 1-2 years. You lay off all of the sales staff and that company is dead in months.
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elvirs 16y ago
I google his name and there is not much about him after he left google. He says 'I am now looking to share some of my knowledge and experience to benefit the next wave of those who aspire to do as I did' I am just curious what has he done to benefit the next wave?
- danielh 16y ago
  Well, he just wrote an inspiring blog post. And he started the Warrior Heart Foundation to "inspire and empower people to live their dreams". Unfortunately, I can't find much about it except some videos of their participation in the Gumball rally.
  - elvirs 16y ago
    yeah they are racing on a Porsche Carrera GT, nice car :) do you think this post is newly written and that blog is really his?
    - danielh 16y ago
      I have no proof that it is his blog, but I have also no reason to believe it isn't. And yes, it's a nice car!
      - hugh3 16y ago
        If I ever start a charitable foundation, I want it to be the kind of charitable foundation that allows the founder to race supercars and doesn't seem to have any other activities. That's my kind of charity.
ashbrahma 16y ago
What does he do now?
dstein 16y ago
Would this story be interesting if he hadn't worked at Google? The only thing unique about this story is that he hit the IPO jackpot.
pcampbell 16y ago
miracles favor the bold.
blr_hack 16y ago
Loved the story, as of course, so many of you did. At the risk of being sounding judgmental on other people, I will still say, that his now leading a retired(ish) life doesn't jell well with the story of a person, who can do such heroics (like putting a job needed board, on his chest and standing the whole day). Again, apologize for being preachy, life is a journey, and stagnating at any point, doesn't help...I am about as old as him...have had my share of moderate successes in life... looking for more...some of the best code I've written in my life has been in the past couple of years...look to write lots more ...:)
- blr_hack 16y ago
  May I know the reason, why my above comment was down voted? Its quite insulting to be done so, after having written the comment, with the best of intentions. PS: If I don't get a satisfactory answer. Will quit HN. It may not matter to you of course.
  - johnyzee 16y ago
    When he said, quote-unquote, "retired" he most likely just meant that he is no longer forced to work for his substinance. He is still out there, he is just free to pursue exactly what he wants.
    - blr_hack 16y ago
      I agree. Actually, at my age (approaching middle age), that 'retirement' word, doesn't sound right ... it may mean either 'resigned', 'lazy', 'tired' and other negatives... and success can indeed make you 'lazy' and 'fat'... so may be I read more into it. Personally, don't like that 'retirement' word. At-least not till I am actually forced to do :) So my role models are people like Vishy Anand, who at 41, is still the world chess champion (I believe, hacking is also as energy-needing as playing chess)...
  - hcack 16y ago
    Perhaps those who downvoted you disapprove of your writing style and not your (allegedly good) intentions. The downvoted comment has an unrehearsed, rambling air to it. Frequent comma splices and mis- and overuse of ellipsis (…) don’t help. The writer is responsible for presenting their ideas effectively. It’s a common courtesy to spare the reader from deciphering a first draft of your ideas.
Gupie 16y ago
"I left shortly after IPO to pursue other interests." :)
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lken 16y ago
this guy sounds like a barnacle. good for him though.
BrainScraps 16y ago
It brings me hope that a non-coder can make a dent in the tech world. Job listings in the past few months have been a bit discouraging for business dev & marketing types.

440 points by paul 16y ago

Sounds like he was in the right place at the right time. I think it would be a mistake to read anything into his story other than "be really lucky". EDIT: There were lots of people just like him that weren't crazy-successful. It's wonderful that he put himself into a place where he could succeed, but that's only necessary, not sufficient, to realize that success. He deserves credit for buying the ticket and taking the ride, but beyond that it's luck.

lucindo 16y ago
+1
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
paul 16y ago
We were all in the right place at the right time. There is something to be said for making an effort to put yourself in the "right" place though.
- nostrademons 16y ago
  Where do you think the "right" place is right now? The problem I always have is that the right place isn't really apparent until years after the decision about where to be is made. At the time, there're many places that look appealing, and little reason to choose one over the other. And then it's only with hindsight that one of those becomes a big success and the rest become has-beens. I was thinking about this today when responding to a Reddit post whining about how there're no good high-paying jobs left in this country: http://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/eyu1o/the_unemployment_rate_is_it_right_or_wrong/c1c170c http://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/eyu1o/the_unemploym... Of course that's false. However, when I think about how I got my good high-paying job, the answer that comes to mind is "pure dumb luck". I happened to like computers when I was a teen in the 90s, and I happened to stick with it through the dot-com bust in the early 2000s, and so now that these CS jobs are paying six figures easily, I've got close to ten years experience in skills that are very hot. But I wasn't really thinking about professions or salary at the time; I was thinking "Hey, this seems sorta interesting, I wonder what else I can find out..."
  - paul 16y ago
    YC. Of course I'm biased, but on the other hand I'm betting on it :) Even companies that don't make it often lead their founders to other great opportunities (e.g. at other yc companies). I also believe there's something surprisingly powerful about witnessing success first hand.
- prakash 16y ago
  Who's the VP of BD Steve refers to? Thanks!
  - bl4k 16y ago
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Kordestani http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omid_Kordestani
InfinityX0 16y ago
You should instead read this story as "work really hard, take risks, and luck will find you". Whether that luck is Google or some other pretty successful venture is of course somewhat random - there is no doubt, though, that success - the vague, abstract idea of it - will find you eventually.
- kingkilr 16y ago
  Maybe "luck" will find you, but we need to acknowledge the scope and scale of his luck. Being willing to work hard and being good at what you do will probably ensure you a decent job, but I don't think you can generate luck to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
- talbina 16y ago
  If you were talking to him in person, you wouldn't start you sentence off like that. It's not really needed.
  - InfinityX0 16y ago
    Good point, I was slightly irritated by it so it caused the internet-reaction.
JanezStupar 16y ago
There's plenty of right time left. Just gotta figure or make the right place.
- noahc 16y ago
  Geography is becoming increasing irrelevant. I live in a small 855 person town in the middle of America. I just found an awesome job, working with an awesome company doing really interesting work. Don't use the place as an excuse.
  - alex_c 16y ago
    Point taken, but for what it's worth, being in the US already puts you ahead of the game in many ways.
Harj 16y ago
There's definitely luck in being involved with a Google size outcome but I can't believe that someone with his approach to life wouldn't consistently achieve a significantly above average level of success.
fwez 16y ago
"Chance favors the prepared mind" --Louis Pasteur
jimbokun 16y ago
"EDIT: There were lots of people just like him that weren't crazy-successful." I'd be curious to hear examples of people who spent a day wearing a sandwich board with their resume in the financial district, and did all the other things this guy did, and did not end up achieving some level of success. He reminds me of Chris Gardner, who inspired the movie Pursuit of Happyness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness
minalecs 16y ago
agree.. as theres something to be said about inspirational stories, I think the real lesson should be about taking calculated risks. I mean the same could be said about many actors giving up everything and coming to Hollywood looking for fame. There are many success stories, but probably a lot more failure stories.

azrealus 16y ago

awesome and inspiring story. thank you for sharing.

shawnee_ 16y ago

Imagine a place where early-stage technology companies can get inexpensive development capital from the pooled investment dollars of individuals who trade their stock directly over the Internet. (from the document TechnoEquity)

nostrademons 16y ago

I like this because it resonates with Paul Buchheit's earlier blogpost about not letting ego fear rule your life: http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/10/serendipity-finds-you.html http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/10/serendipity-finds-y... Yes, this guy got superbly lucky. He also put himself into a position where it was possible to get superbly lucky, and then capitalized on that luck as well as possible.

noahc 16y ago
I spent the last 2 or 3 years, wondering what made people successful. I've since read about all the popele who I find successful. Here's the conclusion I've come to. 1. They ship things. 2. They work on something everyday. If you do those two things you will be successful.
- Retric 16y ago
  Sounds like someone that only looked at successful people. It's human nature to pant simplified story's about how something came to be, but the reality is a lot of things have to go right to make a successful person. First off Don't get hit by a bus etc.
  - noahc 16y ago
    So what would you suggest instead then? We could sit here and think of all the reasons why that isn't true. You need to not get hit by the bus, not be a moron, have lungs, etc. Obviously, if you get hit by the bus its game over and it doesn't matter. The same with all the above. The point is that we know that successful people ship and work on things everyday. Maybe that's not enough to be a success, but it is the one thing they all have in common. Let's imagine a world, where all you make is crap. If you shipped crap one of three things will happen. You will become prolific, as in your crap will be everywhere. Look at Shepard Fairy's "Obey Giant." There's nothing special about that, but when you're everywhere it's hard to ignore you. Another option is that you actually improve. An awesome case study in this is go read iwillteachyoutoberich.com. You can tell from his first post to his posts today Ramit has really improved. The last option of course is that you neither improve or become prolific and you suck at life in general. Hopefully, you can avoid this, but if you can't at least work on things you think are important and fun. Most people hate their jobs, so it's not google payout success, but it is personal success.

aditya 16y ago

I wonder if this could've happened outside the Bay Area though. This is part of the reason the area works so well as a hub, because it really does maximize serendipity of the life-changing kind, since almost everyone in the area has been in a similar situation before.

nedwin 16y ago
Forget about the Google element. Forget about the technology element. It's an example of someone who was relentlessly resourceful. If he wasn't in the Bay Area he would have found an incredible opportunity somewhere else, always throwing himself into the path of oncoming opportunities.

redthrowaway 16y ago

I wonder how different his story would be if he was still at Google today. I understand that there was a pretty magical feeling at Google in its pre- and immediately post-IPO days, and I'd be interested to hear from someone who lived through that and is still at Google now.

nostrademons 16y ago
My VP is one of those double-digit-employee-ID people, and he recently said "People ask me what it was like to work at Google in the early days. This [the making of Google Instant] was what it was like to work at Google back then." So in at least some parts, that spirit still exists at Google. The problem is that it's much harder to find well-defined problems that are ambitious and yet feasible.
- redthrowaway 16y ago
  You know, as awesome as Google Instant is in principle, I never find myself using it. The chrome omnibox is just too useful, although I get that's pretty much Instant anyway.
  - nostrademons 16y ago
    I'm the same way...I often find Instant actively distracting as a user, particularly since usually the only time it triggers for me is when I'm editing some numbers on a Calculator search. (For everything else, there's the Omnibox.) But I'm not a typical user. Chrome's market share is what? 7-10%? That means that 90-93% of Internet users don't even have an Omnibox. Anyway, I think his point isn't necessarily that Instant is awesome (though I'd imagine he'd think it is), it's that the making of Instant was awesome, and included the same sort of focused teamwork in pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal that early Google had. [Side note: from everything I've heard, Chrome itself is one of those awesomely-managed projects that contains a large team of people working towards an ambitious goal. Much like early Google.]
    - 16y ago

chopsueyar 16y ago

How much did he cash out for?

Roritharr 16y ago

When looking at these stories i always wonder if my computer science bachelor degree will really help me when i get in 2 years... My time spent learning algorithms and mathemathics that bore me with lack of practicality could be spent working on my own projects... What do you think, is a degree in CS important for someone who is able to employ himself and (soon) others?

jimbokun 16y ago
Instead of envisioning yourself as this guy, envision yourself as Larry or Sergey in the story. Sure, they needed to learn to hustle, too, but knowing algorithms sure did help them a lot getting to where they are now.
simonsarris 16y ago
Just a thought, thinking very far ahead, but if you are in a position to employ others, would you want them to have a CS degree? How you answer that may help you.
- Roritharr 16y ago
  For those interested in my personal answer: My experience as a student of CS is that you are taught principles that will most likely stay the same for the next 10-40 years. Besides that, every talented student i've met so far figured most of these principles out for themselves before deciding to study cs. Either they learned it out of own interest or just concluded them out of the it world they were presented at the time. There are a lot of students at my university who put lots of hard hours into learning the cs just because they hope to earn a lot at a stable job with the degree and i don't judge them for their goal, but i wouldn't be interested as an employer in one of them because from my experience the ideas needed for innovation aren't born in a grinding mind.
  - vilya 16y ago
    From your earlier post though, you're only 1 or two years into your CS course? If that's your exposure then I'd agree: the stuff you learn in the early part of a CS course is the stuff that a bright person could figure out for themselves. It's the basics. The basics are important of course, but that's not all there is to it - and that's why the course doesn't just end after the first year. Also, regarding your final paragraph, innovation isn't the only valuable attribute. The best innovators aren't necessarily the best finishers. A well rounded team needs both to deliver a good product. I know you were giving your opinion; just trying to provide an alternative point of view.

yread 16y ago

Over a two-week period, I left messages on every single voice mailbox I could get at that company. I was never able to get a human on the phone or get a call back I thought this would be about Google

tedjdziuba 16y ago

Cool story, bro.

dools 16y ago

This is a story of a true hustler - and I mean that in a good way. This guy got out there and hustled for a job. He hustled his way into Netscape by persistently calling and eventually "hacking" his way into contact with a well connected business person. Then when he was employed at Google, he went out there and hustled dollars that made them actually get some turnover. It's a story we don't hear very often. It's a story about the people that make the money rather than the people that make the technology. In a world where so much of the technology sector seems to be predicated on the idea that you build something cool, get users and sort the "money stuff" out later, it's easy to forget that, at some point, someone's gotta get out there and actually make some god damned money. Having attempted to sell various technological services of my own for the past 4 years, I can whole-heartedly say that in my experience, building the technology is the easy part. Being able to monetise it is a magical gift! I'd also like to add that I find it pretty far fetched to refer to this success as "luck". Being a good salesman, being a good hustler, is all about being there. That's why CRM systems are such a vital sales tool - you need to make sure that every few months you call your prospects, and if you don't sell to them then you make an appointment to call back in 3 months and so on. Whether you're selling vacuum cleaners or selling your own services as an employee or contractor, you can't refer to every successful sales as "luck" - it's success based on persistent action. If anything you'd have to refer to people who hustle well and don't succeed as being unlucky, rather than the other way around.

yardie 16y ago
Good salespeople are awesome and I am in awe at their ability to do things that most hackers don't realize. Remembering names, building relationships, and convincing people to give them money. It's very easy to disparage what they do because from the outside it seems trivial. But I attended a sales meeting once and I'm never taking these guys for granted ever again. To put it another way, their entire salary is based around selling your work. As a programmer that pulls a normal salary, that means they have more confidence in what you do than you. Also, company hierarchy almost always dictates that the further you are from the money the more precarious your role is. You could lay off all the engineers tomorrow and the company would limp along for 1-2 years. You lay off all of the sales staff and that company is dead in months.

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elvirs 16y ago

I google his name and there is not much about him after he left google. He says 'I am now looking to share some of my knowledge and experience to benefit the next wave of those who aspire to do as I did' I am just curious what has he done to benefit the next wave?

danielh 16y ago
Well, he just wrote an inspiring blog post. And he started the Warrior Heart Foundation to "inspire and empower people to live their dreams". Unfortunately, I can't find much about it except some videos of their participation in the Gumball rally.
- elvirs 16y ago
  yeah they are racing on a Porsche Carrera GT, nice car :) do you think this post is newly written and that blog is really his?
  - danielh 16y ago
    I have no proof that it is his blog, but I have also no reason to believe it isn't. And yes, it's a nice car!
    - hugh3 16y ago
      If I ever start a charitable foundation, I want it to be the kind of charitable foundation that allows the founder to race supercars and doesn't seem to have any other activities. That's my kind of charity.

ashbrahma 16y ago

What does he do now?

dstein 16y ago

Would this story be interesting if he hadn't worked at Google? The only thing unique about this story is that he hit the IPO jackpot.

pcampbell 16y ago

miracles favor the bold.

blr_hack 16y ago

Loved the story, as of course, so many of you did. At the risk of being sounding judgmental on other people, I will still say, that his now leading a retired(ish) life doesn't jell well with the story of a person, who can do such heroics (like putting a job needed board, on his chest and standing the whole day). Again, apologize for being preachy, life is a journey, and stagnating at any point, doesn't help...I am about as old as him...have had my share of moderate successes in life... looking for more...some of the best code I've written in my life has been in the past couple of years...look to write lots more ...:)

blr_hack 16y ago
May I know the reason, why my above comment was down voted? Its quite insulting to be done so, after having written the comment, with the best of intentions. PS: If I don't get a satisfactory answer. Will quit HN. It may not matter to you of course.
- johnyzee 16y ago
  When he said, quote-unquote, "retired" he most likely just meant that he is no longer forced to work for his substinance. He is still out there, he is just free to pursue exactly what he wants.
  - blr_hack 16y ago
    I agree. Actually, at my age (approaching middle age), that 'retirement' word, doesn't sound right ... it may mean either 'resigned', 'lazy', 'tired' and other negatives... and success can indeed make you 'lazy' and 'fat'... so may be I read more into it. Personally, don't like that 'retirement' word. At-least not till I am actually forced to do :) So my role models are people like Vishy Anand, who at 41, is still the world chess champion (I believe, hacking is also as energy-needing as playing chess)...
- hcack 16y ago
  Perhaps those who downvoted you disapprove of your writing style and not your (allegedly good) intentions. The downvoted comment has an unrehearsed, rambling air to it. Frequent comma splices and mis- and overuse of ellipsis (…) don’t help. The writer is responsible for presenting their ideas effectively. It’s a common courtesy to spare the reader from deciphering a first draft of your ideas.

Gupie 16y ago

"I left shortly after IPO to pursue other interests." :)

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lken 16y ago

this guy sounds like a barnacle. good for him though.

BrainScraps 16y ago

It brings me hope that a non-coder can make a dent in the tech world. Job listings in the past few months have been a bit discouraging for business dev & marketing types.