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I don't think build a business is as easy as choose from a list. You sure can implement every problem reported in that list but if you don't know/have the prob
by mtct 13y ago
I don't think build a business is as easy as choose from a list.
You sure can implement every problem reported in that list but if you don't know/have the problem in first person, how good can your solution be?
- davidw 13y agoI heard about a small business that makes bingo cards for non-technical (putting it mildly in some cases) mostly US-based elementary school teachers, created by some guy in Japan. I don't think that having the problem yourself is necessarily good. I think it's better in many cases to go solve a problem for "real people" - those that are currently using, say, an Excel sheet in place of what your solution offers, or something like that.
- dualogy 13y agoEh this guy is patio11, he's a practically celebrity around these parts! > I don't think that having the problem yourself is necessarily good. First off when he started this, he was very close to the "problem". Then, for years he listened intently to almost every single minor or major feedback putting himself in their shoes, which again is very "close to the problem".
- dkersten 13y agoEh this guy is patio11, he's a practically celebrity around these parts! I'm pretty sure davidw knows that and said it tongue-in-cheek. davidw has been on HN a long time and is, himself, high up on the highest karma list of people.
- radicalbyte 13y agoYou're thinking of Patrick McKenzie (patio11, one of the top posters here) and his bingo card creator. http://www.kalzumeus.com/ http://www.kalzumeus.com/ http://www.bingocardcreator.com/ http://www.bingocardcreator.com/ On a slight tangent: his blog rocks! :)
- aragot 13y agoAnd he works 70-80hrs a week, which explains parts of the successful implementation of his ideas.
- patio11 13y agoFWIW: I don't work 70 to 80 hours a week. My best estimate would be 35 to 45, with variances depending on what is happening in life. The more useful numbers for calculating successful implementation of my ideas are 8 and 5. I have 8 years in the game, and get +/- 5% compounding improvements a month. This happens fairly reliably whether I work 20 hour weeks or 90 hour weeks and, after a few years in the salaryman salt mines, I know which I'd rather pick.
- Brajeshwar 13y agoHis newsletter is cool too. One of the few Newsletter I'm happy subscribing to.
- nl 13y agoThe replies to this post show there is no market for humor on HN, even if some seem to lack that exact thing :(
- StavrosK 13y agoThe guy you're talking about is Thomas Ptacek, he's been known to comment here from time to time. He's also interested in crossword puzzles.
- larrys 13y ago"I heard about a small business that makes bingo cards for non-technical ....created by some guy in Japan" Trying to say this in a nice way: I personally don't think it's good form to use these "insider" type things. Would be curious how many people are aware of what you are referring to or even for that matter who "PG" is (although that one for sure I understand as being a necessary part of some indoctrination..) That said since I know what you are talking about I found it enjoyable! Anyway, for one thing it's not particularly googleable. So it's not like saying "write your own shell script perl is to much work for that" where because this site is for hackers and further "shell script" or "perl" can be understood by newbies by, say, "searching that site funded by YC that is run by a guy in PA and has a funny game like name with an animal in it".[1] I do agree with your point. Specifically because not knowing something can sometimes be an advantage instead of a disadvantage because you can be more creative in your approach. [1] duckduckgo.com
- nhebb 13y agoIndirectly you've identified a product in great need - a sarcasm detector for the humor impaired. ;-)