4 ms·

This is rather shallow and superficial- nothing new besides blanket general advice and personal anecdotes. Seems like self-promotion to be honest. The "do this

by jkl9 14y ago

This is rather shallow and superficial- nothing new besides blanket general advice and personal anecdotes. Seems like self-promotion to be honest. The "do this because I did and it's great and I work at a super cool startup now!!" is rather nauseating- how did this reach the front page?

ilink 14y ago
My thoughts exactly. The whole "Step one: learn to code!" part made me laugh.
- scottrblock 14y ago
  That was step two.
lukethomas 14y ago
Shoot - that wasn't my goal at all. I just know many people who want to work at a tech company, yet the biggest complain I hear is that they don't live in one of the "hubs." The reason I told stories about my experiences was to try to relate, not be arrogant.
- jkl9 14y ago
  The issue is not that you shared your experience but it is that you provided no real insight or value into how to get a job at a start up. This article is just platitudes referencing your anecdotal experience. If you're going to post your personal blog, here are some examples of decent posts: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5539231 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5539231 What do they have that your post doesn't? Depth. They bring a topic up and have insightful perspectives on that topic. If your goal is to write compelling or informative articles about getting a job at a start up then you could speak with founders/engineers about what they're looking for in a new hire, etc. I'm sorry if you take it personally, I'm just giving you honest feedback.
  - jusben1369 14y ago
    I disagree. You're forgetting the target audience. If you were in High School or College now there are multiple actionable recommendations.
  - lifeisstillgood 14y ago
    I think it's a little unfair to compare a professional journalists OpEd and the rumination of someone fairly connected in Finance over a decade with a "how I got my first real job" post. Yes, depth of insight and research Mark out the journalists article from the blog post. But longform, as the editor of the New Yorker will tell you is effort and cost Tldr - it's good if unfair advice. Take it
- lobotryas 14y ago
  Don't listen to these guys. Your post is a good reminder of what the basics are and their importance. Every day there are thousands of people trying to figure out how to take their next step. If even one of them is helped or encouraged by your post then mission accomplished. Personally I'm familiar with this topic and still found your post entertaining and interesting.
eropple 14y ago
I know Luke a little bit from school and I can vouch for the guy that he's not in it just for self-promotion. The stuff he says isn't really novel if you've been out of school for a while, sure, but I'd bet that there are a lot of people reading HN who haven't had the experiences you've had.
zdgman 14y ago
I love how this shallow and superficial article has been on the front page all day. I struck a chord and obviously people saw something in it. Leave it at that and stop being so negative.

by jkl9 14y ago

ilink 14y ago

My thoughts exactly. The whole "Step one: learn to code!" part made me laugh.

scottrblock 14y ago
That was step two.

lukethomas 14y ago

Shoot - that wasn't my goal at all. I just know many people who want to work at a tech company, yet the biggest complain I hear is that they don't live in one of the "hubs." The reason I told stories about my experiences was to try to relate, not be arrogant.

jkl9 14y ago
The issue is not that you shared your experience but it is that you provided no real insight or value into how to get a job at a start up. This article is just platitudes referencing your anecdotal experience. If you're going to post your personal blog, here are some examples of decent posts: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5544010 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5539231 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5539231 What do they have that your post doesn't? Depth. They bring a topic up and have insightful perspectives on that topic. If your goal is to write compelling or informative articles about getting a job at a start up then you could speak with founders/engineers about what they're looking for in a new hire, etc. I'm sorry if you take it personally, I'm just giving you honest feedback.
- jusben1369 14y ago
  I disagree. You're forgetting the target audience. If you were in High School or College now there are multiple actionable recommendations.
- lifeisstillgood 14y ago
  I think it's a little unfair to compare a professional journalists OpEd and the rumination of someone fairly connected in Finance over a decade with a "how I got my first real job" post. Yes, depth of insight and research Mark out the journalists article from the blog post. But longform, as the editor of the New Yorker will tell you is effort and cost Tldr - it's good if unfair advice. Take it
lobotryas 14y ago
Don't listen to these guys. Your post is a good reminder of what the basics are and their importance. Every day there are thousands of people trying to figure out how to take their next step. If even one of them is helped or encouraged by your post then mission accomplished. Personally I'm familiar with this topic and still found your post entertaining and interesting.

eropple 14y ago

I know Luke a little bit from school and I can vouch for the guy that he's not in it just for self-promotion. The stuff he says isn't really novel if you've been out of school for a while, sure, but I'd bet that there are a lot of people reading HN who haven't had the experiences you've had.

zdgman 14y ago

I love how this shallow and superficial article has been on the front page all day. I struck a chord and obviously people saw something in it. Leave it at that and stop being so negative.