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Ask HN: When do independent people realize they don't want a boss?

6 points by amichail 3y ago

And should such people go to university?

theGeatZhopa 3y ago
Steve Jobs, Bill Gates attended to university. But very early, both realized they don't need an university. Independent people know it upfront, they don't need a boss. Usually they then found a company. A friend of my started a business, direct after out studies. It doesn't have anything in common, what we both studied. Did he need studying? Others are working, accumulate knowledge in their area, having a good opportunity and idea allowing them to build up a business. So. To be able to answer your question properly, I need a definition what an independent person is. And some explanation, what a university has to do with an independent person. But in my experience, people who don't attend university/ higher education are lack of experience in problem solving. So, independent, no university, but, sorry, stupid in terms of solving problems.
gtirloni 3y ago
When? It's a personal journey for each one. Many need to have bosses before they realize it, others know it in their guts from early age, others didn't want to work at a company but now do, etc. Re: University. Sure, if it's for learning (useful or not), I think it's a good thing. It's better it's out of curiosity and desire to learn, of course. Sometimes it's because you need that paper to enter regulated fields.
tikkun 3y ago
It sounds like you kinda don't want to go to university but you feel like you should. Depending on how old you are, you could: * Assume you won't go, and work on whatever you want to work on in the meantime * Apply anyway, and consider going to the best one you get into for 1-3 semesters/quarters, to meet people for friends, spouses, cofounders, then drop out
- the_only_law 3y ago
  I really don’t want to prescribe or suggest solutions to other people based on my own life (we’re all different , and I don’t know anyone else’s context better than my own) but I made the decision not to go and I really regret it now for one reason: I could go into the industry anytime, trying to get back into school years later as a “non traditional” student feels like an exercise in futility.
  - qup 3y ago
    In your case, it sounds like you want to go to university but you feel like you shouldn't. Just go. There's no rules or expectations except those of other humans, and they don't matter.
    - the_only_law 3y ago
      No, I admit I have concerns over how old I’d be when I get out, but I don’t really have any qualms around the expectations of others. If I did, I wouldn’t even be thinking about it. It’s more like I want to go but I can’t. It’s significantly more expensive now in so many ways. It requires time that I don’t have because need to make a living so I can survive. There’s a reason that so many people I knew in high school were killing themselves over “grooming” themselves for applications, scholarships, etc. I scoffed at councilors who seemed concerned I wasn’t doing the same things as everyone else, but now I regret that. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t cheap then either, but there were more opportunities and resources with less stipulation. Trust me, if I could just start start tomorrow, even at just a community college, I’d have done it yesterday. It’s particularly bad right now because I don’t have a job anymore and it’s not looking like I’m going to have one that will allow me to afford that anytime soon, so I’ve had to hemorrhage a lot of savings. But in previous years it was mostly some bureaucratic oversight I made that prevented me from getting in (probably would have started last year, but I lost my wallet and didn’t have an documents to prove my residence)
JumpinJack_Cash 3y ago
If you go to University you might end up working with one of your friends that you make there, and even if you end up working under them (meaning that officially they are your boss) you'll never really be working under them considering the experiences that you shared in College.
hayst4ck 3y ago
> And should such people go to university? Absolutely. The caveats are that if your family is rich/aristocratic class, then it probably matters much less and if your only options are mid tier universities, they might not be worth it. Universities offer resources, opportunities, a network, prestige (it really does), and an environment where the latest trends are talked about and examined, easy access to the latest journals and the like. I think a lot of people who grow up in the west don't understand what an impact western universities have on their societies. If you get a degree from a high tier university, many countries will let you in without much struggle, you are definitely in demand. Where I went multiple people became bitcoin multi-millionaires because they were reading block chain papers when the BTC price was below a dollar. I can't give such glowing reviews for universities for mid tier schools, but if you can get top 10/top25 on the world stage, I would say definitely.

6 points by amichail 3y ago

And should such people go to university?

Steve Jobs, Bill Gates attended to university. But very early, both realized they don't need an university. Independent people know it upfront, they don't need a boss. Usually they then found a company. A friend of my started a business, direct after out studies. It doesn't have anything in common, what we both studied. Did he need studying? Others are working, accumulate knowledge in their area, having a good opportunity and idea allowing them to build up a business. So. To be able to answer your question properly, I need a definition what an independent person is. And some explanation, what a university has to do with an independent person. But in my experience, people who don't attend university/ higher education are lack of experience in problem solving. So, independent, no university, but, sorry, stupid in terms of solving problems.

gtirloni 3y ago

When? It's a personal journey for each one. Many need to have bosses before they realize it, others know it in their guts from early age, others didn't want to work at a company but now do, etc. Re: University. Sure, if it's for learning (useful or not), I think it's a good thing. It's better it's out of curiosity and desire to learn, of course. Sometimes it's because you need that paper to enter regulated fields.

tikkun 3y ago

It sounds like you kinda don't want to go to university but you feel like you should. Depending on how old you are, you could: * Assume you won't go, and work on whatever you want to work on in the meantime * Apply anyway, and consider going to the best one you get into for 1-3 semesters/quarters, to meet people for friends, spouses, cofounders, then drop out

the_only_law 3y ago
I really don’t want to prescribe or suggest solutions to other people based on my own life (we’re all different , and I don’t know anyone else’s context better than my own) but I made the decision not to go and I really regret it now for one reason: I could go into the industry anytime, trying to get back into school years later as a “non traditional” student feels like an exercise in futility.
- qup 3y ago
  In your case, it sounds like you want to go to university but you feel like you shouldn't. Just go. There's no rules or expectations except those of other humans, and they don't matter.
  - the_only_law 3y ago
    No, I admit I have concerns over how old I’d be when I get out, but I don’t really have any qualms around the expectations of others. If I did, I wouldn’t even be thinking about it. It’s more like I want to go but I can’t. It’s significantly more expensive now in so many ways. It requires time that I don’t have because need to make a living so I can survive. There’s a reason that so many people I knew in high school were killing themselves over “grooming” themselves for applications, scholarships, etc. I scoffed at councilors who seemed concerned I wasn’t doing the same things as everyone else, but now I regret that. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t cheap then either, but there were more opportunities and resources with less stipulation. Trust me, if I could just start start tomorrow, even at just a community college, I’d have done it yesterday. It’s particularly bad right now because I don’t have a job anymore and it’s not looking like I’m going to have one that will allow me to afford that anytime soon, so I’ve had to hemorrhage a lot of savings. But in previous years it was mostly some bureaucratic oversight I made that prevented me from getting in (probably would have started last year, but I lost my wallet and didn’t have an documents to prove my residence)

JumpinJack_Cash 3y ago

If you go to University you might end up working with one of your friends that you make there, and even if you end up working under them (meaning that officially they are your boss) you'll never really be working under them considering the experiences that you shared in College.

hayst4ck 3y ago

> And should such people go to university? Absolutely. The caveats are that if your family is rich/aristocratic class, then it probably matters much less and if your only options are mid tier universities, they might not be worth it. Universities offer resources, opportunities, a network, prestige (it really does), and an environment where the latest trends are talked about and examined, easy access to the latest journals and the like. I think a lot of people who grow up in the west don't understand what an impact western universities have on their societies. If you get a degree from a high tier university, many countries will let you in without much struggle, you are definitely in demand. Where I went multiple people became bitcoin multi-millionaires because they were reading block chain papers when the BTC price was below a dollar. I can't give such glowing reviews for universities for mid tier schools, but if you can get top 10/top25 on the world stage, I would say definitely.