7 ms·

Help HN: Today I Just Became Homeless & I Need Your Help

164 points by christmasgift 14y ago

Hello HN, I am a UI designer/front-end developer, I worked for many high profile startups and fortune 500s, but for some reason in the past couple of months I lost my job, and all my side gigs. To add to this I was working on couple of startups before the job I recently had, those startups made me lose every last penny I had saved up. I don't have immediate family to help me out, grew up without my parents in boarding schools. I really need someone's help here in finding a job ASAP so I can pay for a place to stay at. I will give you a serious discount for the first month or 2 of working together. If you are interested email me at fffseek@gmail.com and I will give you all my personal info and portfolio. Thank you HN you are awesome! Edit: I am located in Los Angeles

adrockdust 14y ago
Wow. Looking forward to updates about the response you've gotten and your improved situation (hopefully).
dhackner 14y ago
If you pass along your info to me, I'll be happy to ask around to some of my prospective/current clients. See profile - good luck!
suyash 14y ago
Where are you located and why can't you post the link right here for your LinkedIn/Github?
- christmasgift 14y ago
  Sorry I feel uncomfortable about this situation and didn't want to show who I was publicly. if you email me at the above email I will gladly give you more info about me.
  - jtheory 14y ago
    That's sensible, as this would be part of your permanent (online) record, of course. Still, you should at least mention what city you're in/near (presumably in the US?), and if you'd be willing to relocate - if that's even a possibility, at the moment. Someone who otherwise might not respond might change their mind if they realize you're nearby. Beyond that, best of luck; don't hesitate to ask for help from everyone around you; try to keep your emotional stability (this too shall pass); and fight hard to avoid too much debt (the credit cards will happily suck the life out of you, and right now they're about to raise your APR, if this hasn't happened already).
  - adrr 14y ago
    Sent you an email for a job opening at my company. I'll pay for an AirBnb place for a week or so and i can find some more people to help chip in. You'll be back on your feet in no time.
    - dguaraglia 14y ago
      I know this is not the kind of stuff we are supposed to post on HN, but: you are a good man. Kudos.
      - j45 14y ago
        Doing what others will find reason not to is just as valuable to post. We're governed as much by, and with our hearts as our minds. Those who don't get this and belittle this and those who do have narrow views through which they see and experience themselves, and through that narrow view, others. Life is short, and it's a small world.
  - suyash 14y ago
    Sounds very shady. I would not trust this post.
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      - christmasgift 14y ago
        I feel really uncomfortable having my name being public, I would appreciate it if you deleted the comment mentioning my name. I really appreciate the help though.
LilValleyBigEgo 14y ago
Time to look for a normal people job. I heard wal-mart is hiring.
sardonicbryan 14y ago
My company is hiring UI/UX Designers. Feel free to send me a link to your info. See my profile.
lnanek2 14y ago
Sent you an email. Hacker bunk beds/couches off airbnb are super cheap here in silicon valley and I always need enough graphics work to help you make that amount any time, heh.
hncomment 14y ago
I wish you luck, but there are warning flags in your appeal. Do you have someone to talk to about the "some reason" that your other leads/gigs/contacts have gone cold?
- delano 14y ago
  You can find some background if you read through the comments. It's reasonable to not want to have your history right up at the top.
- benatkin 14y ago
  There are also things in the appeal that make this sound legit, in particular the part about running out of money working at startups. Sure an outsider could figure this out and make a false appeal (like is often done on reddit) but they usually aren't that clever.
  - hncomment 14y ago
    I do believe that chrismasgift probably needs help after hitting a rough patch, as can happen to anyone. But there's enough vagueness/disconnection in the info given to be concerned that the help needed may be more than just another paying gig. To christmasgift, I would again suggest being sure to have a deep conversation, with someone who knows you well or is an expert counsellor, to understand how things reached this point. To those offering work, I would suggest checking references. Whether this is a rough streak of bad luck for an earnest and talented person, or something else, such considered steps will help all involved.
- einhverfr 14y ago
  In my experience a couple of really good freelance gigs can be enough to cause all of these problems. The problem is there aren't enough hours in the day and so if a project starts getting behind you work at it harder, forego things like marketing yourself (because you can't commit anyway to anyone else) and pretty soon your presence is down. It's a painful lesson and I have been through it. When you combine this with a sluggish economy, what might have been a moderately painful lesson before can be quite devastating. I do, however, agree with the recommendation to talk to other freelancers, etc because this really helps with the learning curves of this sort.
dikaio 14y ago
Have you found a job yet? I can probably get you some side work or at the very least shoot you a little dinero as a temporary solution, email me at don@dikaio.com - Donovan Dikaio
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- theevocater 14y ago
  Wrong thread?
- alexkus 14y ago
  Maven thread is ----->
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- flexxaeon 14y ago
  Now i'm interested in the maven thread...
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eric970 14y ago
I don't have anything to offer atm other than a sincere wish that you find something that makes you happy and sustains your financial needs. I'm sure you'll find something soon-- hang in there!
qiqing 14y ago
Hey, if you are interested in relocating to the SF Bay Area, contact me on the Chez JJ contact page: http://chezjj.com/contact http://chezjj.com/contact We've taken more than our share of residents who come to Silicon Valley without much of a plan and found free-lance gigs or full time work by staying with us. A bunch of startups also been housed in our hacker house network.
brianbreslin 14y ago
If you are interested in Miami, I have a few companies hiring UX right now. email me your portfolio, might be able to throw some freelance stuff your way immediately.
benatkin 14y ago
First, I know someone who's in a similar situation. Second, email sent!
BigBalli 14y ago
I make iPhone apps, interested in drawing UI? Experience? Please send me past examples: http://giacomoballi.com http://giacomoballi.com
derrida 14y ago
I can't offer work, but I am happy just to chat if you are having a hard time and need someone to talk to, my email & XMPP details are in my profile :-)
jaequery 14y ago
being in LA, i think you'd have a hard time getting any help. seems like you may be a fit for SF.
- flexxaeon 14y ago
  being from LA, why do you think this? (not challenging you, just wondering)
alrs 14y ago
Poster previously requested help after death, coma, physical rehabilitation, and drug abuse. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2312566 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2312566
- danshapiro 14y ago
  To clarify: he requested advice on HN once. His request included a description of his history, including all the above-entioned points. I read this comment to mean "he asked for help finding work four times, with four different reasons" until I clicked through the link.
- twentysix 14y ago
  After reading this comment I did a cursory check and from what i could gather there is nothing to suggest any malicious intent in this request. The information he was written in this thread matches with the information found online, namely he is a UI designer located in Los Angeles that worked at some start ups. The reason I am writing this is because I up voted this comment before checking in detail and now I cannot take it back.
- salemh 14y ago
  Mayhaps with that much trauma (if true) some mental dysfunction is at hand, and some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with a Psychiatrist would be in order. Else a repeating pattern of self-destructiveness (self-sabotage) would continue.
- guynamedloren 14y ago
  Am I missing something, or are the usernames of the two posts different? How do you know it's the same person?
- hardik988 14y ago
  The OP has said that he doesn't want to be outed publicly just yet - it would be great if you could remove this.
segmond 14y ago
what are your skills? working for high profile startups and fortune 500s means nothing. you could have been a janitor. i mean, google, ibm do have janitors right?

164 points by christmasgift 14y ago

adrockdust 14y ago

Wow. Looking forward to updates about the response you've gotten and your improved situation (hopefully).

dhackner 14y ago

If you pass along your info to me, I'll be happy to ask around to some of my prospective/current clients. See profile - good luck!

suyash 14y ago

Where are you located and why can't you post the link right here for your LinkedIn/Github?

christmasgift 14y ago
Sorry I feel uncomfortable about this situation and didn't want to show who I was publicly. if you email me at the above email I will gladly give you more info about me.
- jtheory 14y ago
  That's sensible, as this would be part of your permanent (online) record, of course. Still, you should at least mention what city you're in/near (presumably in the US?), and if you'd be willing to relocate - if that's even a possibility, at the moment. Someone who otherwise might not respond might change their mind if they realize you're nearby. Beyond that, best of luck; don't hesitate to ask for help from everyone around you; try to keep your emotional stability (this too shall pass); and fight hard to avoid too much debt (the credit cards will happily suck the life out of you, and right now they're about to raise your APR, if this hasn't happened already).
- adrr 14y ago
  Sent you an email for a job opening at my company. I'll pay for an AirBnb place for a week or so and i can find some more people to help chip in. You'll be back on your feet in no time.
  - dguaraglia 14y ago
    I know this is not the kind of stuff we are supposed to post on HN, but: you are a good man. Kudos.
    - j45 14y ago
      Doing what others will find reason not to is just as valuable to post. We're governed as much by, and with our hearts as our minds. Those who don't get this and belittle this and those who do have narrow views through which they see and experience themselves, and through that narrow view, others. Life is short, and it's a small world.
- suyash 14y ago
  Sounds very shady. I would not trust this post.
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    - christmasgift 14y ago
      I feel really uncomfortable having my name being public, I would appreciate it if you deleted the comment mentioning my name. I really appreciate the help though.

LilValleyBigEgo 14y ago

Time to look for a normal people job. I heard wal-mart is hiring.

sardonicbryan 14y ago

My company is hiring UI/UX Designers. Feel free to send me a link to your info. See my profile.

lnanek2 14y ago

Sent you an email. Hacker bunk beds/couches off airbnb are super cheap here in silicon valley and I always need enough graphics work to help you make that amount any time, heh.

hncomment 14y ago

I wish you luck, but there are warning flags in your appeal. Do you have someone to talk to about the "some reason" that your other leads/gigs/contacts have gone cold?

delano 14y ago
You can find some background if you read through the comments. It's reasonable to not want to have your history right up at the top.
benatkin 14y ago
There are also things in the appeal that make this sound legit, in particular the part about running out of money working at startups. Sure an outsider could figure this out and make a false appeal (like is often done on reddit) but they usually aren't that clever.
- hncomment 14y ago
  I do believe that chrismasgift probably needs help after hitting a rough patch, as can happen to anyone. But there's enough vagueness/disconnection in the info given to be concerned that the help needed may be more than just another paying gig. To christmasgift, I would again suggest being sure to have a deep conversation, with someone who knows you well or is an expert counsellor, to understand how things reached this point. To those offering work, I would suggest checking references. Whether this is a rough streak of bad luck for an earnest and talented person, or something else, such considered steps will help all involved.
einhverfr 14y ago
In my experience a couple of really good freelance gigs can be enough to cause all of these problems. The problem is there aren't enough hours in the day and so if a project starts getting behind you work at it harder, forego things like marketing yourself (because you can't commit anyway to anyone else) and pretty soon your presence is down. It's a painful lesson and I have been through it. When you combine this with a sluggish economy, what might have been a moderately painful lesson before can be quite devastating. I do, however, agree with the recommendation to talk to other freelancers, etc because this really helps with the learning curves of this sort.

dikaio 14y ago

Have you found a job yet? I can probably get you some side work or at the very least shoot you a little dinero as a temporary solution, email me at don@dikaio.com - Donovan Dikaio

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
theevocater 14y ago
Wrong thread?
alexkus 14y ago
Maven thread is ----->
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
flexxaeon 14y ago
Now i'm interested in the maven thread...

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

eric970 14y ago

I don't have anything to offer atm other than a sincere wish that you find something that makes you happy and sustains your financial needs. I'm sure you'll find something soon-- hang in there!

qiqing 14y ago

Hey, if you are interested in relocating to the SF Bay Area, contact me on the Chez JJ contact page: http://chezjj.com/contact http://chezjj.com/contact We've taken more than our share of residents who come to Silicon Valley without much of a plan and found free-lance gigs or full time work by staying with us. A bunch of startups also been housed in our hacker house network.

brianbreslin 14y ago

If you are interested in Miami, I have a few companies hiring UX right now. email me your portfolio, might be able to throw some freelance stuff your way immediately.

benatkin 14y ago

First, I know someone who's in a similar situation. Second, email sent!

BigBalli 14y ago

I make iPhone apps, interested in drawing UI? Experience? Please send me past examples: http://giacomoballi.com http://giacomoballi.com

derrida 14y ago

I can't offer work, but I am happy just to chat if you are having a hard time and need someone to talk to, my email & XMPP details are in my profile :-)

jaequery 14y ago

being in LA, i think you'd have a hard time getting any help. seems like you may be a fit for SF.

flexxaeon 14y ago
being from LA, why do you think this? (not challenging you, just wondering)

alrs 14y ago

Poster previously requested help after death, coma, physical rehabilitation, and drug abuse. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2312566 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2312566

danshapiro 14y ago
To clarify: he requested advice on HN once. His request included a description of his history, including all the above-entioned points. I read this comment to mean "he asked for help finding work four times, with four different reasons" until I clicked through the link.
twentysix 14y ago
After reading this comment I did a cursory check and from what i could gather there is nothing to suggest any malicious intent in this request. The information he was written in this thread matches with the information found online, namely he is a UI designer located in Los Angeles that worked at some start ups. The reason I am writing this is because I up voted this comment before checking in detail and now I cannot take it back.
salemh 14y ago
Mayhaps with that much trauma (if true) some mental dysfunction is at hand, and some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with a Psychiatrist would be in order. Else a repeating pattern of self-destructiveness (self-sabotage) would continue.
guynamedloren 14y ago
Am I missing something, or are the usernames of the two posts different? How do you know it's the same person?
hardik988 14y ago
The OP has said that he doesn't want to be outed publicly just yet - it would be great if you could remove this.

segmond 14y ago

what are your skills? working for high profile startups and fortune 500s means nothing. you could have been a janitor. i mean, google, ibm do have janitors right?