4 ms·

I hate to be "that guy" but this comment is much more pretentious than the blog post. I'm a normal guy with a normal job yet I too can only spend 5:00 PM - 8:0

by watty 12y ago

I hate to be "that guy" but this comment is much more pretentious than the blog post. I'm a normal guy with a normal job yet I too can only spend 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM with my daughter (she goes to bed) on the weekdays. I'd love to work 4 hours a day and spend the rest of my time with her but I work hard to provide for my family. What % of families these days doesn't have at least one spouse working 8+ hour days?

kevinskii 12y ago
Lots of parents do challenging and impactful work. They too will sometimes have to put work before family. They too will often go home to obnoxious kids after dealing with fires at work all day. They too will compartmentalize because that's what adults do. If you're a startup CEO who raises a family, that doesn't make you unusual. But writing a blog post about it and then submitting it to HN does make you seem a bit pretentious. EDIT: Removed language that unintentionally sounded dismissive towards Tiempo's product.
- watty 12y ago
  He's offering tips for balancing work/home life, which is a difficult task for many "hackers" and entrepreneurs who have a drive to be successful and important. It's not rocket science, it's not really helpful to me, but what about it is pretentious? I'm assuming if he was a mechanic or secretary it'd no longer be pretentious?
  - kevinskii 12y ago
    Right. If he were a mechanic or secretary it would no longer be pretentious because there wouldn't be the implication that as a startup CEO he's somehow shouldering an ungodly burden.
- prawn 12y ago
  I don't think it's pretentious. I think it's helpful for anyone in a similar situation -- I too have a kid and another on the way. If it's irrelevant to you, it's clearly marked and easy to ignore.
  - kevinskii 12y ago
    After revisiting several hours after having made my original comment, I have to say I agree with you. In no way was he being pretentious. I think I know why I might have read it that way but it doesn't matter. I was wrong and it was unfair of me to say it. To the poster: I apologize.
    - prawn 12y ago
      Been in the same position where I've read something, interpreted it to gain a particular impression, and then not had the same impression after re-reading. It happens!
prawn 12y ago
Agree completely. The blog post was one guy sharing his experience to a community likely to be interested. Even if their main message is "this is all-consuming", YC are trying to attract a diverse range of founders (women, minorities, those with families) because it's likely to discover and solve more problems than had by the typical founder. Stories from those will be useful for others. And, as you said, the life described in the blog post is hardly different from that of a typical worker or small business owner. I run a small business I started 15 years ago, but I still do a late night most weeks where I miss my son's bed time, and have commitments outside of work that means missing some weekend days. If you work online, you can work after kids have gone to bed, or get up early to knock off a couple of hours before they wake up, etc.

by watty 12y ago

kevinskii 12y ago

Lots of parents do challenging and impactful work. They too will sometimes have to put work before family. They too will often go home to obnoxious kids after dealing with fires at work all day. They too will compartmentalize because that's what adults do. If you're a startup CEO who raises a family, that doesn't make you unusual. But writing a blog post about it and then submitting it to HN does make you seem a bit pretentious. EDIT: Removed language that unintentionally sounded dismissive towards Tiempo's product.

watty 12y ago
He's offering tips for balancing work/home life, which is a difficult task for many "hackers" and entrepreneurs who have a drive to be successful and important. It's not rocket science, it's not really helpful to me, but what about it is pretentious? I'm assuming if he was a mechanic or secretary it'd no longer be pretentious?
- kevinskii 12y ago
  Right. If he were a mechanic or secretary it would no longer be pretentious because there wouldn't be the implication that as a startup CEO he's somehow shouldering an ungodly burden.
prawn 12y ago
I don't think it's pretentious. I think it's helpful for anyone in a similar situation -- I too have a kid and another on the way. If it's irrelevant to you, it's clearly marked and easy to ignore.
- kevinskii 12y ago
  After revisiting several hours after having made my original comment, I have to say I agree with you. In no way was he being pretentious. I think I know why I might have read it that way but it doesn't matter. I was wrong and it was unfair of me to say it. To the poster: I apologize.
  - prawn 12y ago
    Been in the same position where I've read something, interpreted it to gain a particular impression, and then not had the same impression after re-reading. It happens!

prawn 12y ago

Agree completely. The blog post was one guy sharing his experience to a community likely to be interested. Even if their main message is "this is all-consuming", YC are trying to attract a diverse range of founders (women, minorities, those with families) because it's likely to discover and solve more problems than had by the typical founder. Stories from those will be useful for others. And, as you said, the life described in the blog post is hardly different from that of a typical worker or small business owner. I run a small business I started 15 years ago, but I still do a late night most weeks where I miss my son's bed time, and have commitments outside of work that means missing some weekend days. If you work online, you can work after kids have gone to bed, or get up early to knock off a couple of hours before they wake up, etc.