4 ms·

I think your problem is that you are taking things at face value and believing the things people say, instead of seeing the world for what it is. For example,

I think your problem is that you are taking things at face value and believing the things people say, instead of seeing the world for what it is. For example, VCs and Angel Investors will say they are looking for good business plans and good ideas and good pitch decks. But ALL they care about is finding the next Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs. If you seem like someone that would sell his company for 10 million dollars they have zero interest in you and they NEVER had any interest in your idea. Similarly with finding a full time job, the listing may say "5 years in Python" but what they really want is "Someone who is good enough to seem productive but will not make any of us look bad". When you apply for jobs an interview you should be thinking how can I get these people to think that I will be good enough and polite enough to make their lives easier without being a threat.

MrFoof 4y ago
>How can I get these people to think that I will be good enough and polite enough to make their lives easier without being a threat. This. Consulting for my market weakened significantly within the past 5 years, so I had to subcontract for a bit. I know many others around me who did the same thing (several of which used to have a decent staff!), or got perm positions at former clients. You know what's great? Making some existing system 3000 times faster (no exaggeration!) on the same hardware in your first few weeks, giving a presentation on the improvements at the request of the now very happy director ... then getting pulled into a 1-on-1 by some peer and having them scream at the top of their lungs for making them look bad by comparison. ...and having that happen on FIVE GIGS in a row. You do it beyond politely, it's just whitepapers and PowerPoints, and detailed how-tos, but then one or two existing staff members tries to stop you at all costs. Everyone else (other peers, directors, VPs) are stoked, but there'll be one or two who'd might physically assault you in person. -- Sadly, that's reality. Having remoted all of those gigs (SFBA, Boston, Connecticut, Dallas, and Minneapolis), that behavior is EVERYWHERE too. Thankfully I had an SVP contact I could reach out to for a solid perm position to get me out of that mess... to actually just go through the SAME MESS for ten months. Ever have people literally block access to the resources to do your work for SEVEN MONTHS, including getting the CTO (who has just stepped down) to tell SVPs that I'd need to work on other projects? I now can say I have. I just spent ten months losing every battle to try to get work done, to finally "win the war." I'm allowed to do my job now, and a lot of other groups are happy, but I DESPISE the place. -- People are nuts. I've come full circle in 15 years from what made me go independent, to now re-committing to going back to full independent once I have a few new hot skills I can easily bill. Those few nutters are the same ones will tell their boss to pass on your resume.
- sawirricardo 4y ago
  What are those new hot skills, if you dont mind?

MrFoof 4y ago

>How can I get these people to think that I will be good enough and polite enough to make their lives easier without being a threat. This. Consulting for my market weakened significantly within the past 5 years, so I had to subcontract for a bit. I know many others around me who did the same thing (several of which used to have a decent staff!), or got perm positions at former clients. You know what's great? Making some existing system 3000 times faster (no exaggeration!) on the same hardware in your first few weeks, giving a presentation on the improvements at the request of the now very happy director ... then getting pulled into a 1-on-1 by some peer and having them scream at the top of their lungs for making them look bad by comparison. ...and having that happen on FIVE GIGS in a row. You do it beyond politely, it's just whitepapers and PowerPoints, and detailed how-tos, but then one or two existing staff members tries to stop you at all costs. Everyone else (other peers, directors, VPs) are stoked, but there'll be one or two who'd might physically assault you in person. -- Sadly, that's reality. Having remoted all of those gigs (SFBA, Boston, Connecticut, Dallas, and Minneapolis), that behavior is EVERYWHERE too. Thankfully I had an SVP contact I could reach out to for a solid perm position to get me out of that mess... to actually just go through the SAME MESS for ten months. Ever have people literally block access to the resources to do your work for SEVEN MONTHS, including getting the CTO (who has just stepped down) to tell SVPs that I'd need to work on other projects? I now can say I have. I just spent ten months losing every battle to try to get work done, to finally "win the war." I'm allowed to do my job now, and a lot of other groups are happy, but I DESPISE the place. -- People are nuts. I've come full circle in 15 years from what made me go independent, to now re-committing to going back to full independent once I have a few new hot skills I can easily bill. Those few nutters are the same ones will tell their boss to pass on your resume.

sawirricardo 4y ago
What are those new hot skills, if you dont mind?