3 ms·

> We need more software engineers venturing out into other industries and identifying and solving problems. this seems to line up with my experience well. But

> We need more software engineers venturing out into other industries and identifying and solving problems. this seems to line up with my experience well. But I don't have a good line of sight for me to actually experience those businesses outside of taking a non-SWE job and going from a well-compensated expert to barely-paid newb. Spending years learning a specific industry in the hopes that I can turn my former skills into a viable business seems like the wrong approach in several axes. I know VC groups (sometimes) have entire departments whose purpose is to understand other industries... it seems counterproductive for individuals to try to and go this route. Thoughts?

dhruvkar 7y ago
Agreed, that's not a pragmatic path. But if starting a business is your goal, and finding a viable idea is your obstacle, I'd argue this is a sure-shot way of FINDING said idea. Some potential paths can be: 1. SWE @ SW company -> "BA" @ non SW company or whatever term is used for generic-problem-solver in that industry. 2. Part-time hourly work in another industry. This is fairly easy through temp agencies. 3. Apprenticeship in another industry (perhaps in more hands-on industries). Some are hard to get, others don't pay as well. But to find gold, I'd say some level of hardship is required, and this, in my view, is a bulletproof way of finding that gold. Whether you're able to dig it out and then able to sell it at a profit, is totally another question.
- ProblemFactory 7y ago
  > Part-time hourly work in another industry. This is fairly easy through temp agencies. This sounds like a more brilliant idea than #2 in a list in a long thread. Temp agencies are where businesses turn to when they have a reasonably simple problem and they are willing to pay to solve it.

3 ms·

> We need more software engineers venturing out into other industries and identifying and solving problems. this seems to line up with my experience well. But

by pnathan 7y ago

dhruvkar 7y ago
Agreed, that's not a pragmatic path. But if starting a business is your goal, and finding a viable idea is your obstacle, I'd argue this is a sure-shot way of FINDING said idea. Some potential paths can be: 1. SWE @ SW company -> "BA" @ non SW company or whatever term is used for generic-problem-solver in that industry. 2. Part-time hourly work in another industry. This is fairly easy through temp agencies. 3. Apprenticeship in another industry (perhaps in more hands-on industries). Some are hard to get, others don't pay as well. But to find gold, I'd say some level of hardship is required, and this, in my view, is a bulletproof way of finding that gold. Whether you're able to dig it out and then able to sell it at a profit, is totally another question.
- ProblemFactory 7y ago
  > Part-time hourly work in another industry. This is fairly easy through temp agencies. This sounds like a more brilliant idea than #2 in a list in a long thread. Temp agencies are where businesses turn to when they have a reasonably simple problem and they are willing to pay to solve it.