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Help HN: Developer laid off 5 days before Christmas, have kids

224 points by up_and_up 14y ago

Hello HN, I was just informed that a key investor pulled support for a startup I am working fulltime for. Thus, people are being laid off 5 days before Christmas. Bummer. I am reaching out to the community as I am on the hunt for Developer-related position. About me: Berkeley Grad, 7 years of development exp, 4 years at startups. Held titles: Developer, Sr. Developer and Lead Developer. Great team-player, active communicator, can step into leadership as needed. Skills: Ruby, Rails, Sinatra, MySQL, Postgres, SQLServer, API's, JS, HTML5, PHP, Python, Linux system admin (AWS, Linode etc), DBA, Product Development, Team leadership Experienced in domains: Ecommerce, Saas, Social API's, Analytics, Finance, Health IT Currently Learning: Objective C, Node.js Seeking: Remote Fulltime opportunity, willing to travel occasionally. I am great as a technical co-founder in early stage scenarios, helping to define product and rapidly build it. Also great as part of a dev team. Open to possibilities. Shoot me an email at: prgrmr75@gmail.com if you have any leads or want to talk about opportunities. Thanks and Happy Holidays! EDIT: I am located in the Midwest about 2.5 hours from Chicago. I greatly appreciate the heavy response to this. This is a great community to be a part of.

bmelton 14y ago
Sending an email now -- I note that you didn't state your location, so not all of it may apply. Edit: Acchile0 is probably right. I doubt you'll have a tough time finding meaningful employment, but I completely understand the nerves that come along with having just dumped a ton of money into your Christmas shopping at probably the worst possible time, as people are generally not hiring at times like this. Christmas is a lot more enjoyable when there's a steady paycheck at the end of it, for sure, but try not to let this ruin your holiday. Take a couple of hours a day and pursue employment as you can, but try to relax if you're able.
- michaelochurch 14y ago
  people are generally not hiring at times like this. In finance, January is a great time to go job searching. People collect their bonuses and some percentage leave, and that opens up spots.
  - bmelton 14y ago
    January, yes. December, no. Like I said, I doubt he has cause to worry, but I know that I've had similar circumstances where a loss of income source occurs immediately after a big expenditure, so I know how poor the timing is. January's a new month, a new year, and is likely to be rife with opportunity, but in the interim, there's to be a few missed checks that could be important.
pplante 14y ago
Sent you an email, good luck!
achille 14y ago
Not sure why you are concerned. A cursory look at your past experience tells me you'll have no issue finding work. Enjoy the time off for the holidays, spend some time with the kids, and start looking for work in January.
- ClayM 14y ago
  Having kids will do that to you :)
- prostoalex 14y ago
  Likely >>> Remote Fulltime opportunity he's not in the Bay Area
- chernevik 14y ago
  OP's spouse may be somewhat less confident. "See honey, HN doesn't think I'll have a problem! Look at all these emails! We'll figure something out." Such demonstration is especially important if said spouse was skeptical about the start-up foray in the first place. N.B.: Perfectly valid motive for posting. And not one that invalidates the inquiries.
  - hkmurakami 14y ago
    My thoughts exactly. I think the fact that we're in holiday season makes the worry that much more acute, since it contrasts so sharply with the happiness and comfort that we're supposed to be feeling. edit: forwarded this link to friends who work at startups where a significant part of their team is remote.
    - chernevik 14y ago
      And start-ups can feel that much more volatile. They aren't, really, I was once laid off by a huge bank two weeks after Christmas, and that with my wife on bedrest for complications in her pregnancy. I'm at early days with consulting but I feel a lot more secure with my skill set than I ever did at some large company. But the advice elsewhere about getting to six month's expenses is realllll good advice. I'd keep the spending thin until hitting at least that point -- and yeah, that can take a while.
Toddward 14y ago
Sent your info along to our hiring manager - he'll be in touch.
michaelochurch 14y ago
Email me (michael.o.church at gmail) and I'll put you in contact with some recruiters in NYC who'd love to work with you (although I don't know if they have remote options). With your CV, I doubt you'll be unemployed for long. If you're interested in finance, Wilmott and NuclearPhynance are also good places to find headhunters. Sorry to hear about the startup. Good luck!
itsgettingcold 14y ago
Your skill set is strong and in demand, you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy the holidays and treat this as unpaid time off, I suspect you'll be employed before the end of next month. What region are you in, or is remote work a requirement? Most interviewers like an in-person at some point, just a thought.
brador 14y ago
This guy will have no problems finding work. But as a hot life pro tip for fresh grads: keep 6 months expenses in the bank. Minimum. Don't spend on any ++ till you're set with this base safety net.
- michaelochurch 14y ago
  Also, startups are more financially risky in unexpected sudden failure than most big-company jobs. Startups generally don't pay severance. There might be nothing to pay out. Additionally, if you are unemployed you must get at least 45 minutes of exercise every day, and spend at least 4-6 hours on something career focused (skill building during the annoying latent periods of job searching) as if you were FT employed. Depression can turn what should be a 21-day gap into 21 weeks.
  - sillysaurus 14y ago
    Additionally, if you are unemployed you must get at least 45 minutes of exercise every day, and spend at least 4-6 hours on something career focused (skill building during the annoying latent periods of job searching) as if you were FT employed. Depression can turn what should be a 21-day gap into 21 weeks. I didn't exercise. I don't regret it. I was unemployed in St Louis for 7 months. It was the most intellectually creative period of my life. I chose to pursue physics of my own accord and with no prior experience. I now have a clear idea of what, precisely, I want my life to be, and close to a six-figure salary. I'm saving up money for at least 6 months while I study very hard in my free time to get high marks on ACT/SAT and (hopefully) earn scholarships to attend a decent undergrad university, with the long-term goal of attending a graduate program at a top university. It's doable with about six years of work, which is no problem at all now that I know who I am and what I want out of life. It's important to realize that it isn't necessarily best to choose to continue to work regardless of what you could be doing with those extra 50 hours per week. More than that, realizing that "choosing to work" is, in fact, a conscious decision rather than a given, is liberating. It has a way of making your life come into focus. Your advice is good. I just wanted to share an alternative viewpoint. It's also important to note that I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to not-work without becoming homeless. (On the other hand, it was because I had saved up enough money to do that. And if I can, then you certainly can. Consider it.)
eitally 14y ago
I know you said remote, but where are you located? We're global and have a presence across the US, so what you think is remote might actually be local.
- rms 14y ago
  It's pretty common for people with young children to seek true remote or at least 2/week office work.
tijs 14y ago
Everybody enjoys a good Christmas story so after you get that new job somewhere early next year, as seems a given, do come back here and tell us where you ended up :)
n1ghtfury 14y ago
check your email - sent you some openings from my company & my gf's
- joey_muller 14y ago
  right on! nice to see folks lending real support at this time of year.
mikle 14y ago
You know, I have all the sympathy in the world to up_and_up, and I wish him luck. If I would know about a remote position I might even had done something about it. But this seems fishy to me for a few reasons, and out of place. HN has a job board up there, job posts every month and there are more than enough places for someone to find a few leads. I would be less suspicious if there was a location mentioned and not just a cryptic "remote" or a link to a site, github or something that makes this a real person. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but it's hard for me not to feel skeptical.
- potatolicious 14y ago
  Skeptical of what, that OP isn't actually unemployed and looking for work? What, exactly, would the angle be besides a person who is looking for job leads?
  - cedrichurst 14y ago
    A recruiter phishing for hiring managers maybe? But I would suspect this is legit and totally above-board. This is part of what online communities are all about.
  - mikle 14y ago
    Maybe skeptical is not exactly the right word, but I feel like having a post like that should not be part of HN.
- peteretep 14y ago
  Yes, I'm sure it's a massive conspiracy to defraud us all of our hard-earned ...???
  - ruswick 14y ago
    ...leads. Admittedly, it's incredibly unlikely that this is some sort of recruiter scam, but it's not as if what he said was incoherent.
    - 14y ago
rgovind 14y ago
On a related note, one of my friends told me that I should continually interview with companies (3-4 an year) so that, in case of such problems, I can call them and quickly see if they have other openings I may be a fit for. Plus it also gives me better idea of my current salary potential. Do people on HN agree with that?
timjpearson 14y ago
We have lots of openings here in Seattle. tpearson@microsoft.com. Send me your resume.
6a68 14y ago
Pinged you. Mozilla is always hiring talented devs, remote is absolutely, pathologically supported here :-) Good luck!
- achille 14y ago
  Do you get referral bonuses @ Mozilla?
pknerd 14y ago
I can't do anything for you from Pakistan other than praying and wishing to have a wonderful holidays with a new job in hand which you will be going to start from Next year. Best of luck Bro!
brianbreslin 14y ago
There are like 20 startups in Miami that would hire you as technical co-founder right now. p.s. miami is nice and warm right now :-)
- loceng 14y ago
  He mentions being remote. I imagine this makes one less desirable - though not entirely.
- up_and_up 14y ago
  Send me an email and I will consider it.
ews 14y ago
The company where I currently work at (Etsy) is really good at allowing remote work. Could you send me your resume to my HN username @folksonomy.com ?
paulhauggis 14y ago
If you have kids, you shouldn't be working at a startup. This will happen to you again.
- captaincrunch 14y ago
  If you don't have kids you should not be working and enjoying the single life. I have kids, and am in a start-up, just takes planning.
  - paulhauggis 14y ago
    "If you don't have kids you should not be working and enjoying the single life." This doesn't even make sense and I feel like you only posted it to be contradictory. "I have kids, and am in a start-up, just takes planning." This guy obviously didn't. Startups are generally risky. I've worked at many startups and have seen it all. A non-startup isn't a guarantee, but your job isn't always dependent on the next round of funding.
- alexkus 14y ago
  If you don't have kids don't tell people with kids what to do just because they have kids.
  - paulhauggis 14y ago
    I'm not the one out of a job after working for an obviously risky company (Startups are risky). I'm also not the one posting to HN BEGGING for a job (and pointing out that I have mouths to feed).
    - fredoliveira 14y ago
      Quite true. You're just the one judging others based on criteria you apparently know little about. Come on, man - loosen up a bit.
      - 14y ago
desireco42 14y ago
Seriously, if you really want to work, you should have no problems finding work, provided your description is accurate. It sounds like you just freaked out. I would suggest being a little flexible on your side in terms of location, as Chicago is full of awesome opportunities, and then don't grab first thing, but look for something you would enjoy doing. Like, hit LightBank and other accelerators and see what they have. Have first relaxing holidays, then chase work, as others suggested. Happy Holidays
achompas 14y ago
We could use a senior dev on our systems engineering team. Just contacted you--good luck!
MyNewAccount99 14y ago
Protip: don't have kids.
- alexkus 14y ago
  Advice your parents could have used...
chriscampbell 14y ago
It's clear from this thread that a seasoned developer with your skills is in demand- my question is what motivates you to choose one company over another? I am making the assumptions it's not just salary- benefits, stock options, vacation days, culture? Curious on your thought process for selecting a company?
jhawk28 14y ago
You may want to browse the telecommute jobs from careers stack overflow: http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs/telecommute http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs/telecommute
ZVb9 14y ago
Sorry to hear your news. When people say 'remote' do they generally mean 'in the US'? I am based in the UK, about 3 hours from London. I know I have a fantastic skill set (Ruby, Rails, Postgres, APIs, Semantic HTML, Heroku, people management and Accenture consulting experience) but I have never found a single company in the UK willing to consider on remote working. Such a shame for both sides as I don't want to move my young family to London.
braveheart1723 14y ago
Take up Buddhism, that'll make Christmas much cheaper. ( other religions available )
- saraid216 14y ago
  Economically-motivated religious conversion. I haven't heard this one before.
  - mahmud 14y ago
    Many Somalis pretend to be Christians to receive church aid, or qualify for refugee status.
    - epochwolf 14y ago
      I think saraid216 was joking. There's plenty of examples in history for people changing religions for non-religious reasons.
thifm 14y ago
Man, you are awesome. Just like everybody told you: enjoy the holiday and look for a good opportunity. I bet you will find a even better job, you are hot for the market now!
mscarborough 14y ago
Good luck, man. Nothing about this post has any urgency outside of "i have to buy presents". FFS. You aren't the first person to have to tighten it up during holiday time, and you sure won't be the last. Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares?
- devb 14y ago
  > Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares? More people than those that care for you, apparently.
- talmir 14y ago
  Now that is an interesting post. Pay attention kids while I break it down for you: "Good luck, man." Clearly this guy has a heart, saying that to a stranger is nice, but adding the "man" adds a friendlyness to it that is hard to come by on the internet. This is what we call a bait, as will be seen by the things to come. "Nothing about this post has any urgency outside of "i have to buy presents". FFS. You aren't the first person to have to tighten it up during holiday time, and you sure won't be the last." Now here, because the original poster did not state that he had immediate financial problems, somehow this suddenly is not that big a problem for him. The time honored mantra of "someone else has it worse, so you cant have it bad" is strongly indicated with Mscasborough reminding him he is not the first person to be in a bad place just before christmas. The optimistic "and you sure won't be the last" leads us onto the next golden nugget of communication. "Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares?" There we have it! Full "Dick!". It is rare to see in real life, but more omnipresent on the internet. The first sentence indicated that the original posted might not have complained enough while the "Stop the crybaby nonsense" indicates that he in fact was complaining too much. But the piece de resistance, the ode to the world of dickishness and the absolute pinnacle of human dickishness is encapsulated in the words "'have kids' ...who cares?" Personaly I hope the original poster will get a job as soon as possible. The feeling of being unemployed just before christmas must be very hard indeed.
  - ygmelnikova 14y ago
    Isn't your comment rather hypocritical? "Pay attention kids while I break it down for you" What is that? You "hope the original poster will get a job as soon as possible", and you hope what for the commenter? A lump of coal in his stocking?
kgc 14y ago
Be sure to collect unemployment during your time off.
ygmelnikova 14y ago
On Christmas day 30,000 children will die around the world from preventable diseases. Think about that while you stuffing turkey down your pie hole.
mschaecher 14y ago
If you're still looking, I might be able to find you some temp contractor work asap, as well as introduce you to people looking for more permanent (or at least medium term) remote devs. michael@munchery.com
gbraad 14y ago
I am sure you will find a new gig. I am also looking, similar profile as you but I live in Beijing, China and my wife is pregnant. Great all-round developer, http://gbraad.nl/resume/ http://gbraad.nl/resume/ and http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad email: me at gbraad.nl to get in touch. Let us all have a great new year. Happy holidays!
- davelocity 14y ago
  Check out App Annie, our Beijing office is hiring lots and lots of engineers: http://appannie.com/jobs http://appannie.com/jobs
  - gbraad 14y ago
    Thanks for the suggestion. Will certainly get in touch with them.
gbraad 14y ago
I am sure you will find a new gig. I am also looking, similar profile as you but I live in Beijing, China and my wife is pregnant. Great all-round developer, http://gbraad.nl/resume/ http://gbraad.nl/resume/ and http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad email: me at gbraad.nl to get in touch. Let us all have a great new year.
melvinram 14y ago
Email sent. Subject "HN Amigo"
pknerd 14y ago
Why am I getting impression that startup people are ruthless?
perfunctory 14y ago
The title sounds as if it's the end of the world. Oh, wait a second...
SparrowOS 14y ago
"On Christmas day 30,000 children will die around the world from preventable diseases.Think about that while you stuffing turkey down your pie hole.reply" A brilliant atheist said, "How can a loving God not have caused the discovery of anesthetics centuries sooner?" The Bible says to praise the Creator, not enrage Him cause he can't feed children cause humans push the limits of the ecosystem and always starve. I wuv God, damn vermin, breaking His heart! http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&#38... Read Numbers chapter 11, ya fucker who hates God. God says... of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
JoeAltmaier 14y ago
Another startup? Same risks, could get laid off at any moment (e.g. 5 days before Independence Day, 5 days before Yom Kippur, its always 5 days before something). Glutton for punishment?
MatildaEmily 14y ago
Hi There, I saw your post via Twitter and decided to respond on behalf of Modis. Modis does both permanent placement and contract IT staffing. email me at matilda.anderson@modis.com and I can put you in touch with the right person in your region who can help you find a position that's the right match. Thanks!
tyrelb 14y ago
Best wishes this holiday season. Enjoy the time off with your family, and I'm sure (along with everyone else here) things will turn up in 2013 with a little work searching... :)

224 points by up_and_up 14y ago

bmelton 14y ago

Sending an email now -- I note that you didn't state your location, so not all of it may apply. Edit: Acchile0 is probably right. I doubt you'll have a tough time finding meaningful employment, but I completely understand the nerves that come along with having just dumped a ton of money into your Christmas shopping at probably the worst possible time, as people are generally not hiring at times like this. Christmas is a lot more enjoyable when there's a steady paycheck at the end of it, for sure, but try not to let this ruin your holiday. Take a couple of hours a day and pursue employment as you can, but try to relax if you're able.

michaelochurch 14y ago
people are generally not hiring at times like this. In finance, January is a great time to go job searching. People collect their bonuses and some percentage leave, and that opens up spots.
- bmelton 14y ago
  January, yes. December, no. Like I said, I doubt he has cause to worry, but I know that I've had similar circumstances where a loss of income source occurs immediately after a big expenditure, so I know how poor the timing is. January's a new month, a new year, and is likely to be rife with opportunity, but in the interim, there's to be a few missed checks that could be important.

pplante 14y ago

Sent you an email, good luck!

achille 14y ago

Not sure why you are concerned. A cursory look at your past experience tells me you'll have no issue finding work. Enjoy the time off for the holidays, spend some time with the kids, and start looking for work in January.

ClayM 14y ago
Having kids will do that to you :)
prostoalex 14y ago
Likely >>> Remote Fulltime opportunity he's not in the Bay Area
chernevik 14y ago
OP's spouse may be somewhat less confident. "See honey, HN doesn't think I'll have a problem! Look at all these emails! We'll figure something out." Such demonstration is especially important if said spouse was skeptical about the start-up foray in the first place. N.B.: Perfectly valid motive for posting. And not one that invalidates the inquiries.
- hkmurakami 14y ago
  My thoughts exactly. I think the fact that we're in holiday season makes the worry that much more acute, since it contrasts so sharply with the happiness and comfort that we're supposed to be feeling. edit: forwarded this link to friends who work at startups where a significant part of their team is remote.
  - chernevik 14y ago
    And start-ups can feel that much more volatile. They aren't, really, I was once laid off by a huge bank two weeks after Christmas, and that with my wife on bedrest for complications in her pregnancy. I'm at early days with consulting but I feel a lot more secure with my skill set than I ever did at some large company. But the advice elsewhere about getting to six month's expenses is realllll good advice. I'd keep the spending thin until hitting at least that point -- and yeah, that can take a while.

Toddward 14y ago

Sent your info along to our hiring manager - he'll be in touch.

michaelochurch 14y ago

Email me (michael.o.church at gmail) and I'll put you in contact with some recruiters in NYC who'd love to work with you (although I don't know if they have remote options). With your CV, I doubt you'll be unemployed for long. If you're interested in finance, Wilmott and NuclearPhynance are also good places to find headhunters. Sorry to hear about the startup. Good luck!

itsgettingcold 14y ago

Your skill set is strong and in demand, you have nothing to worry about. Enjoy the holidays and treat this as unpaid time off, I suspect you'll be employed before the end of next month. What region are you in, or is remote work a requirement? Most interviewers like an in-person at some point, just a thought.

brador 14y ago

This guy will have no problems finding work. But as a hot life pro tip for fresh grads: keep 6 months expenses in the bank. Minimum. Don't spend on any ++ till you're set with this base safety net.

michaelochurch 14y ago
Also, startups are more financially risky in unexpected sudden failure than most big-company jobs. Startups generally don't pay severance. There might be nothing to pay out. Additionally, if you are unemployed you must get at least 45 minutes of exercise every day, and spend at least 4-6 hours on something career focused (skill building during the annoying latent periods of job searching) as if you were FT employed. Depression can turn what should be a 21-day gap into 21 weeks.
- sillysaurus 14y ago
  Additionally, if you are unemployed you must get at least 45 minutes of exercise every day, and spend at least 4-6 hours on something career focused (skill building during the annoying latent periods of job searching) as if you were FT employed. Depression can turn what should be a 21-day gap into 21 weeks. I didn't exercise. I don't regret it. I was unemployed in St Louis for 7 months. It was the most intellectually creative period of my life. I chose to pursue physics of my own accord and with no prior experience. I now have a clear idea of what, precisely, I want my life to be, and close to a six-figure salary. I'm saving up money for at least 6 months while I study very hard in my free time to get high marks on ACT/SAT and (hopefully) earn scholarships to attend a decent undergrad university, with the long-term goal of attending a graduate program at a top university. It's doable with about six years of work, which is no problem at all now that I know who I am and what I want out of life. It's important to realize that it isn't necessarily best to choose to continue to work regardless of what you could be doing with those extra 50 hours per week. More than that, realizing that "choosing to work" is, in fact, a conscious decision rather than a given, is liberating. It has a way of making your life come into focus. Your advice is good. I just wanted to share an alternative viewpoint. It's also important to note that I was incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to not-work without becoming homeless. (On the other hand, it was because I had saved up enough money to do that. And if I can, then you certainly can. Consider it.)

eitally 14y ago

I know you said remote, but where are you located? We're global and have a presence across the US, so what you think is remote might actually be local.

rms 14y ago
It's pretty common for people with young children to seek true remote or at least 2/week office work.

tijs 14y ago

Everybody enjoys a good Christmas story so after you get that new job somewhere early next year, as seems a given, do come back here and tell us where you ended up :)

n1ghtfury 14y ago

check your email - sent you some openings from my company & my gf's

joey_muller 14y ago
right on! nice to see folks lending real support at this time of year.

mikle 14y ago

You know, I have all the sympathy in the world to up_and_up, and I wish him luck. If I would know about a remote position I might even had done something about it. But this seems fishy to me for a few reasons, and out of place. HN has a job board up there, job posts every month and there are more than enough places for someone to find a few leads. I would be less suspicious if there was a location mentioned and not just a cryptic "remote" or a link to a site, github or something that makes this a real person. Maybe I'm just a cynic, but it's hard for me not to feel skeptical.

potatolicious 14y ago
Skeptical of what, that OP isn't actually unemployed and looking for work? What, exactly, would the angle be besides a person who is looking for job leads?
- cedrichurst 14y ago
  A recruiter phishing for hiring managers maybe? But I would suspect this is legit and totally above-board. This is part of what online communities are all about.
- mikle 14y ago
  Maybe skeptical is not exactly the right word, but I feel like having a post like that should not be part of HN.
peteretep 14y ago
Yes, I'm sure it's a massive conspiracy to defraud us all of our hard-earned ...???
- ruswick 14y ago
  ...leads. Admittedly, it's incredibly unlikely that this is some sort of recruiter scam, but it's not as if what he said was incoherent.
  - 14y ago

rgovind 14y ago

On a related note, one of my friends told me that I should continually interview with companies (3-4 an year) so that, in case of such problems, I can call them and quickly see if they have other openings I may be a fit for. Plus it also gives me better idea of my current salary potential. Do people on HN agree with that?

timjpearson 14y ago

We have lots of openings here in Seattle. tpearson@microsoft.com. Send me your resume.

6a68 14y ago

Pinged you. Mozilla is always hiring talented devs, remote is absolutely, pathologically supported here :-) Good luck!

achille 14y ago
Do you get referral bonuses @ Mozilla?

pknerd 14y ago

I can't do anything for you from Pakistan other than praying and wishing to have a wonderful holidays with a new job in hand which you will be going to start from Next year. Best of luck Bro!

brianbreslin 14y ago

There are like 20 startups in Miami that would hire you as technical co-founder right now. p.s. miami is nice and warm right now :-)

loceng 14y ago
He mentions being remote. I imagine this makes one less desirable - though not entirely.
up_and_up 14y ago
Send me an email and I will consider it.

ews 14y ago

The company where I currently work at (Etsy) is really good at allowing remote work. Could you send me your resume to my HN username @folksonomy.com ?

paulhauggis 14y ago

If you have kids, you shouldn't be working at a startup. This will happen to you again.

captaincrunch 14y ago
If you don't have kids you should not be working and enjoying the single life. I have kids, and am in a start-up, just takes planning.
- paulhauggis 14y ago
  "If you don't have kids you should not be working and enjoying the single life." This doesn't even make sense and I feel like you only posted it to be contradictory. "I have kids, and am in a start-up, just takes planning." This guy obviously didn't. Startups are generally risky. I've worked at many startups and have seen it all. A non-startup isn't a guarantee, but your job isn't always dependent on the next round of funding.
alexkus 14y ago
If you don't have kids don't tell people with kids what to do just because they have kids.
- paulhauggis 14y ago
  I'm not the one out of a job after working for an obviously risky company (Startups are risky). I'm also not the one posting to HN BEGGING for a job (and pointing out that I have mouths to feed).
  - fredoliveira 14y ago
    Quite true. You're just the one judging others based on criteria you apparently know little about. Come on, man - loosen up a bit.
    - 14y ago

desireco42 14y ago

Seriously, if you really want to work, you should have no problems finding work, provided your description is accurate. It sounds like you just freaked out. I would suggest being a little flexible on your side in terms of location, as Chicago is full of awesome opportunities, and then don't grab first thing, but look for something you would enjoy doing. Like, hit LightBank and other accelerators and see what they have. Have first relaxing holidays, then chase work, as others suggested. Happy Holidays

achompas 14y ago

We could use a senior dev on our systems engineering team. Just contacted you--good luck!

MyNewAccount99 14y ago

Protip: don't have kids.

alexkus 14y ago
Advice your parents could have used...

chriscampbell 14y ago

It's clear from this thread that a seasoned developer with your skills is in demand- my question is what motivates you to choose one company over another? I am making the assumptions it's not just salary- benefits, stock options, vacation days, culture? Curious on your thought process for selecting a company?

jhawk28 14y ago

You may want to browse the telecommute jobs from careers stack overflow: http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs/telecommute http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs/telecommute

ZVb9 14y ago

Sorry to hear your news. When people say 'remote' do they generally mean 'in the US'? I am based in the UK, about 3 hours from London. I know I have a fantastic skill set (Ruby, Rails, Postgres, APIs, Semantic HTML, Heroku, people management and Accenture consulting experience) but I have never found a single company in the UK willing to consider on remote working. Such a shame for both sides as I don't want to move my young family to London.

braveheart1723 14y ago

Take up Buddhism, that'll make Christmas much cheaper. ( other religions available )

saraid216 14y ago
Economically-motivated religious conversion. I haven't heard this one before.
- mahmud 14y ago
  Many Somalis pretend to be Christians to receive church aid, or qualify for refugee status.
  - epochwolf 14y ago
    I think saraid216 was joking. There's plenty of examples in history for people changing religions for non-religious reasons.

thifm 14y ago

Man, you are awesome. Just like everybody told you: enjoy the holiday and look for a good opportunity. I bet you will find a even better job, you are hot for the market now!

mscarborough 14y ago

Good luck, man. Nothing about this post has any urgency outside of "i have to buy presents". FFS. You aren't the first person to have to tighten it up during holiday time, and you sure won't be the last. Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares?

devb 14y ago
> Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares? More people than those that care for you, apparently.
talmir 14y ago
Now that is an interesting post. Pay attention kids while I break it down for you: "Good luck, man." Clearly this guy has a heart, saying that to a stranger is nice, but adding the "man" adds a friendlyness to it that is hard to come by on the internet. This is what we call a bait, as will be seen by the things to come. "Nothing about this post has any urgency outside of "i have to buy presents". FFS. You aren't the first person to have to tighten it up during holiday time, and you sure won't be the last." Now here, because the original poster did not state that he had immediate financial problems, somehow this suddenly is not that big a problem for him. The time honored mantra of "someone else has it worse, so you cant have it bad" is strongly indicated with Mscasborough reminding him he is not the first person to be in a bad place just before christmas. The optimistic "and you sure won't be the last" leads us onto the next golden nugget of communication. "Stop the crybaby nonsense. "have kids" ... who cares?" There we have it! Full "Dick!". It is rare to see in real life, but more omnipresent on the internet. The first sentence indicated that the original posted might not have complained enough while the "Stop the crybaby nonsense" indicates that he in fact was complaining too much. But the piece de resistance, the ode to the world of dickishness and the absolute pinnacle of human dickishness is encapsulated in the words "'have kids' ...who cares?" Personaly I hope the original poster will get a job as soon as possible. The feeling of being unemployed just before christmas must be very hard indeed.
- ygmelnikova 14y ago
  Isn't your comment rather hypocritical? "Pay attention kids while I break it down for you" What is that? You "hope the original poster will get a job as soon as possible", and you hope what for the commenter? A lump of coal in his stocking?

kgc 14y ago

Be sure to collect unemployment during your time off.

ygmelnikova 14y ago

On Christmas day 30,000 children will die around the world from preventable diseases. Think about that while you stuffing turkey down your pie hole.

mschaecher 14y ago

If you're still looking, I might be able to find you some temp contractor work asap, as well as introduce you to people looking for more permanent (or at least medium term) remote devs. michael@munchery.com

gbraad 14y ago

I am sure you will find a new gig. I am also looking, similar profile as you but I live in Beijing, China and my wife is pregnant. Great all-round developer, http://gbraad.nl/resume/ http://gbraad.nl/resume/ and http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad http://linkedin.com/in/gbraad email: me at gbraad.nl to get in touch. Let us all have a great new year. Happy holidays!

davelocity 14y ago
Check out App Annie, our Beijing office is hiring lots and lots of engineers: http://appannie.com/jobs http://appannie.com/jobs
- gbraad 14y ago
  Thanks for the suggestion. Will certainly get in touch with them.

gbraad 14y ago

melvinram 14y ago

Email sent. Subject "HN Amigo"

pknerd 14y ago

Why am I getting impression that startup people are ruthless?

perfunctory 14y ago

The title sounds as if it's the end of the world. Oh, wait a second...

SparrowOS 14y ago

"On Christmas day 30,000 children will die around the world from preventable diseases.Think about that while you stuffing turkey down your pie hole.reply" A brilliant atheist said, "How can a loving God not have caused the discovery of anesthetics centuries sooner?" The Bible says to praise the Creator, not enrage Him cause he can't feed children cause humans push the limits of the ecosystem and always starve. I wuv God, damn vermin, breaking His heart! http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&version=NIV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2011&#38... Read Numbers chapter 11, ya fucker who hates God. God says... of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel. 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

JoeAltmaier 14y ago

Another startup? Same risks, could get laid off at any moment (e.g. 5 days before Independence Day, 5 days before Yom Kippur, its always 5 days before something). Glutton for punishment?

MatildaEmily 14y ago

Hi There, I saw your post via Twitter and decided to respond on behalf of Modis. Modis does both permanent placement and contract IT staffing. email me at matilda.anderson@modis.com and I can put you in touch with the right person in your region who can help you find a position that's the right match. Thanks!

tyrelb 14y ago

Best wishes this holiday season. Enjoy the time off with your family, and I'm sure (along with everyone else here) things will turn up in 2013 with a little work searching... :)