4 ms·

This right here is the straight dope. I've worked my way from zero a few times and now have some assets as I approach 40. Wealthy people see the poor as consuma

This right here is the straight dope. I've worked my way from zero a few times and now have some assets as I approach 40. Wealthy people see the poor as consumables thirsty for opportunity. Also while climbing the ladder there are tons of people who are just closeted sociopathic sadists who have no assets but just get off on manipulation. Another thing I learned was when the work gets to be worth over about $250,000 it's hard to tell the difference between funded people with vision and trust fund kids that have disbursements over some interval if they are building something so they do not plan to succeed. They intend to use me as a therapist and prostitute while they grind it to zero and start again. The only method I've found that works for transitioning class is to make rich people feel like they are missing out on something they can't buy. Being an appropriately confident jerk that is willing to starve rather than give them an endless loop of scope creep. Charge more than even I think I am worth and when they tell me that's too much politely tell them good luck. It cuts down on the noise of non-serious actors and makes people that want to be serious take note. I barely have an inkling of how hard that would be if I wasn't a white man with an abnormally deep voice. I've seen how women and people color are discounted and expected to be silent when speaking real truth and someone who sounds like what bossman thinks reflects them gets boosted without question. What a mess. Glad you saw through the "rules" of the game and made it work for you. Cheers.

DoreenMichele 6y ago
I applied for a local economic development job nearly three years ago. They hired someone else. I kept showing up at public meetings and serving as a volunteer. I was openly attacked, dismissed and criticized. Later, they would implement my suggestions (badly -- they couldn't actually get it right) and take credit and pretend I hadn't been the person who originally suggested it. I finally quit all my volunteer work because everyone in town knows I am dirt poor and they are stealing my ideas and not helping me establish an earned income of my own while pretending they are doing economic development. The guy they hired for the job I applied to finally put up a website like a couple of weeks ago after having the job for 2.5 years. I dragged it on one my blogs and within hours of me saying "He should do X on his website" he would make edits in line with that. This happened three days in row. I finally took all the posts down. So he is cyberstalking me to continue stealing ideas from me. I'm trying to figure out how to establish my own company. I can't believe this guy still has this job, he's so incompetent. But, I mean, he has the right bits between his legs and I guess that's all that really matters. It's infuriating. I really appreciate your comment.
- abe_m 6y ago
  In my limited experience with local economic development organizations: they are stocked with the minimally competent when it comes to starting a company. I was initially surprised by this, but then I thought: If they have the skills and knowledge to get a company running, why are they working there? Conceivably, many people who own successful businesses are making more than the people at the EcDev office. Therefore, it is unlikely that people who would be effective at helping launch a business are employed there. Their main function seems to be cutting tax deals for large out-of-(town, area, country) established businesses to bring a new (office, factory, call-center) to their area. My suggestion is to not look to them in figuring out your business. I've heard that in the USA, some of the government services are staffed by retired business owners who are volunteering for something to do. That makes sense that there could be a person in there who could be a helpful mentor. If they had a successful business, and have done well enough to be able to retire, they probably like doing business, and know what it takes. Retiring cuts a bunch of the stress out, and volunteering to work with new business owners lets them keep a hand in what they love to do. If you can find something like that, or find a retired former business owner to mentor you, that would likely put you far ahead of dealing with EcDev.
  - DoreenMichele 6y ago
    I was basically doing volunteer work in my field because I am medically handicapped and no longer drive. Most jobs in my field require a driver's license to apply. I live in this town. I would be happy to help people succeed in developing it, but I was treated so badly that I don't even want to help these people anymore. Anyway, I am doing my own thing and maybe that will finally pan out for me financially. The short version is I had a lengthy health crisis and I am more able to work now. So hopefully that will lead to more money, in spite of the world being a lousy place full of lousy people.
- bch 6y ago
  > This happened three days in row. I finally took all the posts down. Time to start employing “trap streets”?[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street

DoreenMichele 6y ago

I applied for a local economic development job nearly three years ago. They hired someone else. I kept showing up at public meetings and serving as a volunteer. I was openly attacked, dismissed and criticized. Later, they would implement my suggestions (badly -- they couldn't actually get it right) and take credit and pretend I hadn't been the person who originally suggested it. I finally quit all my volunteer work because everyone in town knows I am dirt poor and they are stealing my ideas and not helping me establish an earned income of my own while pretending they are doing economic development. The guy they hired for the job I applied to finally put up a website like a couple of weeks ago after having the job for 2.5 years. I dragged it on one my blogs and within hours of me saying "He should do X on his website" he would make edits in line with that. This happened three days in row. I finally took all the posts down. So he is cyberstalking me to continue stealing ideas from me. I'm trying to figure out how to establish my own company. I can't believe this guy still has this job, he's so incompetent. But, I mean, he has the right bits between his legs and I guess that's all that really matters. It's infuriating. I really appreciate your comment.

abe_m 6y ago
In my limited experience with local economic development organizations: they are stocked with the minimally competent when it comes to starting a company. I was initially surprised by this, but then I thought: If they have the skills and knowledge to get a company running, why are they working there? Conceivably, many people who own successful businesses are making more than the people at the EcDev office. Therefore, it is unlikely that people who would be effective at helping launch a business are employed there. Their main function seems to be cutting tax deals for large out-of-(town, area, country) established businesses to bring a new (office, factory, call-center) to their area. My suggestion is to not look to them in figuring out your business. I've heard that in the USA, some of the government services are staffed by retired business owners who are volunteering for something to do. That makes sense that there could be a person in there who could be a helpful mentor. If they had a successful business, and have done well enough to be able to retire, they probably like doing business, and know what it takes. Retiring cuts a bunch of the stress out, and volunteering to work with new business owners lets them keep a hand in what they love to do. If you can find something like that, or find a retired former business owner to mentor you, that would likely put you far ahead of dealing with EcDev.
- DoreenMichele 6y ago
  I was basically doing volunteer work in my field because I am medically handicapped and no longer drive. Most jobs in my field require a driver's license to apply. I live in this town. I would be happy to help people succeed in developing it, but I was treated so badly that I don't even want to help these people anymore. Anyway, I am doing my own thing and maybe that will finally pan out for me financially. The short version is I had a lengthy health crisis and I am more able to work now. So hopefully that will lead to more money, in spite of the world being a lousy place full of lousy people.
bch 6y ago
> This happened three days in row. I finally took all the posts down. Time to start employing “trap streets”?[0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_street