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Any employer would have to sue you first and win a judgement, and that would only happen if you became super wealthy. The other thing that is on your side is t

Any employer would have to sue you first and win a judgement, and that would only happen if you became super wealthy. The other thing that is on your side is that anyone vindictive enough is going to be too stupid to pull it off or even understand what your side project is or does. If it's an unenforceable non-compete, who cares? If it's a moonlighting agreement, don't talk about your hobby at work. Above all, realize that people who say stuff like "you're not fully committed to me" are unprofessional idiots. As far as code you create is concerned, it's worthless. Give it away freely. If you give a physics book to a five year old are they going to build a particle accelerator? The real value is the developer as knowledge can't be given away and slavery is illegal.

AgentConundrum 15y ago
That makes sense to a point, but it's still scary to have that sort of thing hanging over you. This will sound silly, but just thinking about this stuff has my stomach in knots right now - I actually feel physically ill. After posting this, I found a post on answers.onstartups[1], written by Joel Spolsky, which outlined the reasons why employers make you sign this sort of thing. I understand the reasons he gave, but it also makes me realize that this is just the way the world works for our profession, and I feel trapped and scared by it. I know I'm never going to make anything in my spare time that amounts to anything, but I still like the idea of throwing stuff (pet projects) at the wall (the internet) to see what sticks (gains me notoriety and/or profit). I get the feeling that it's in my own best interest to just keep my toys to myself, keep my head down, and pound out line of business apps for $50k a year (or the post-inflation equivalent of it) for the rest of my life. I feel dead inside. [1] http://answers.onstartups.com/q/19422/14789 http://answers.onstartups.com/q/19422/14789
- fractallyte 15y ago
  More than anything else, you're suffering from a lack of self-confidence. Try to be really good at what you do, and use that knowledge to build your confidence and assertiveness. This is the subject of countless books, and several past threads on HN. On a more interesting note, it's surprising/shocking to realize how far one can get with controlled arrogance. An archetypal character to study is the protagonist of the TV series 'House'. (But I'm not at all suggesting that you should behave like him!)

AgentConundrum 15y ago

That makes sense to a point, but it's still scary to have that sort of thing hanging over you. This will sound silly, but just thinking about this stuff has my stomach in knots right now - I actually feel physically ill. After posting this, I found a post on answers.onstartups[1], written by Joel Spolsky, which outlined the reasons why employers make you sign this sort of thing. I understand the reasons he gave, but it also makes me realize that this is just the way the world works for our profession, and I feel trapped and scared by it. I know I'm never going to make anything in my spare time that amounts to anything, but I still like the idea of throwing stuff (pet projects) at the wall (the internet) to see what sticks (gains me notoriety and/or profit). I get the feeling that it's in my own best interest to just keep my toys to myself, keep my head down, and pound out line of business apps for $50k a year (or the post-inflation equivalent of it) for the rest of my life. I feel dead inside. [1] http://answers.onstartups.com/q/19422/14789 http://answers.onstartups.com/q/19422/14789

fractallyte 15y ago
More than anything else, you're suffering from a lack of self-confidence. Try to be really good at what you do, and use that knowledge to build your confidence and assertiveness. This is the subject of countless books, and several past threads on HN. On a more interesting note, it's surprising/shocking to realize how far one can get with controlled arrogance. An archetypal character to study is the protagonist of the TV series 'House'. (But I'm not at all suggesting that you should behave like him!)