6 ms·

Ask HN: Do you ever take on projects you’re not qualified for?

2 points by desertraven 6y ago

By qualified I mean you don’t currently have the skills needed, but think you can develop them in tandem with the project.

pkrotich 6y ago
That’s the only way to improve- do something that’s beyond your current skill set.
- desertraven 6y ago
  And it’s okay to do this outside of personal projects? Eg. Client defined project. PS. I do appreciate the spirit of the comment.
  - pkrotich 6y ago
    Yes - nothing like pressure to deliver. It will push you beyond your comfort level - what you’re capable of is not necessarily what you already know.
kalium-xyz 6y ago
Sure, just dont blatantly lie, or take something on that you don’t even know the required skills for. Or you might risk taking on impossible requirements (e.g. IOS app that wont be allowed by apple)
- desertraven 6y ago
  Ah good point! Know enough to know the constraints on what is possible.
sigmaprimus 6y ago
For others, not for a long time, but when I was younger (and hungrier) I did. Now that I am a little bit wiser and much older... I don't feel it is worth doing as most of the times I did it, I ended up putting in way more time and effort than I estimated and ended up making far less per hour than even a minimum wage job would have paid. For myself, I still do. The most recent was buying a bull dozer and backhoe from an auction eventhough I had zero experience operating any heavy equipment. I should note that for the first year using these I had noone else around me and on my own land so I was not risking hurting anyone else or damaging anyone's property other than my own. I think it comes down the morality of making promises to other people and potentially not being able to fulfill them. If someone asked me to do a project and after I explained that I did not currently have the skill set to do it but thought I could figure it out, and they still wanted me to take it on. Maybe I would consider it but that would be a big maybe. Honestly I am more the asker than the doer these days.
- sigmaprimus 6y ago
  10 years or so ago I did take on a job building an online clothing catalog for a designer's company that made women's yoga wear. I'm pretty sure I used a SME server backend running Jooma or WordPress, I had experience with the server but none with Joomla or Wordpress. Two days after getting the site launched she sold the company to a competitor, paid me and I got a 22 inch LED monitor as a bonus!! So sometimes it is worth taking a chance.

2 points by desertraven 6y ago

By qualified I mean you don’t currently have the skills needed, but think you can develop them in tandem with the project.

pkrotich 6y ago

That’s the only way to improve- do something that’s beyond your current skill set.

desertraven 6y ago
And it’s okay to do this outside of personal projects? Eg. Client defined project. PS. I do appreciate the spirit of the comment.
- pkrotich 6y ago
  Yes - nothing like pressure to deliver. It will push you beyond your comfort level - what you’re capable of is not necessarily what you already know.

kalium-xyz 6y ago

Sure, just dont blatantly lie, or take something on that you don’t even know the required skills for. Or you might risk taking on impossible requirements (e.g. IOS app that wont be allowed by apple)

desertraven 6y ago
Ah good point! Know enough to know the constraints on what is possible.

sigmaprimus 6y ago

For others, not for a long time, but when I was younger (and hungrier) I did. Now that I am a little bit wiser and much older... I don't feel it is worth doing as most of the times I did it, I ended up putting in way more time and effort than I estimated and ended up making far less per hour than even a minimum wage job would have paid. For myself, I still do. The most recent was buying a bull dozer and backhoe from an auction eventhough I had zero experience operating any heavy equipment. I should note that for the first year using these I had noone else around me and on my own land so I was not risking hurting anyone else or damaging anyone's property other than my own. I think it comes down the morality of making promises to other people and potentially not being able to fulfill them. If someone asked me to do a project and after I explained that I did not currently have the skill set to do it but thought I could figure it out, and they still wanted me to take it on. Maybe I would consider it but that would be a big maybe. Honestly I am more the asker than the doer these days.

sigmaprimus 6y ago
10 years or so ago I did take on a job building an online clothing catalog for a designer's company that made women's yoga wear. I'm pretty sure I used a SME server backend running Jooma or WordPress, I had experience with the server but none with Joomla or Wordpress. Two days after getting the site launched she sold the company to a competitor, paid me and I got a 22 inch LED monitor as a bonus!! So sometimes it is worth taking a chance.