24 ms·

> I may not have the cash rolling in, but at least I'm in control of my destiny. Hey Ma, I'm moving in! How are people who don't have a meaningful source of in

> I may not have the cash rolling in, but at least I'm in control of my destiny. Hey Ma, I'm moving in! How are people who don't have a meaningful source of income and who are dependent on their parents for shelter any more in control of their destinies than corporate worker bees?

gutnor 12y ago
It is not only that - even when you run your own company you can and often are effectively dependent on your clients/market ( especially that big client making 80% of your revenue ), or the need of your dependents ( you still need to pay your mortgage ) . That's a common complain here on HN of founder "selling out", "losing the original spirit", ... There is a cultural bias for entrepreneur, especially in the US (that's not a bad thing BTW), so struggling directly against the market is seen as more glamorous then through a corporate structure/middleman. In the end, you are as in control of your destiny as much as your wealth permit, no matter how you made that wealth in the first place.
- MCRed 12y ago
  Here's the difference: When the market says something, I can react to it and improve immediately. For me the market is large and variety, it's not like a few people make up %80 of the income. Working for a corporation, in the most recent case, meant dealing with people who were so incompetent that they did everything I can think of to interfere with us reacting to the market. You know the saying about how people with nothing to do create work for others? Well, when you're a software team and the boss has zero software skills, or understanding, or care, you end up in a lot of pointless meetings. Seriously, I would get interrupted 200 times in a day. (I counted once). So, more risk, less secure money, but avoiding harassment, verbal abuse, manipulation, gas lighting, and 200 interruptions a day is a huge positive trade off. For me at least. Plus I get to see my parents for a few months while I pick out the next place I'm going to live.
  - gutnor 12y ago
    You are just comparing a shit job to a good job, and well the shit job is shittier than the good one. Let's run with your example - what would have been your boss opinion ? Or if your business is growing and you need more people, how will you treat them and how should they feel ? You have a good job in a hot sector, enjoy it, don't try to generalise to everybody or other sectors. Actually, the article is all about people that don't share our luck.
Kurtz79 12y ago
Not all corporate jobs are soulless, mind crushing Orwellian nightmares, and nothing prevents you from looking for a fulfilling job if you are unhappy with your present one, especially in our field.
- MCRed 12y ago
  True, and I did spend some time looking. It's kinda sad, though, how our field seems to have devolved in the past 15 years. Startups today are much more corporate, more likely to be run by biz guys without appreciation for software, etc. Here's a good litmus test: If they have an open floor plan they clearly don't care about developers. If they BRAG about having an open floor plan-- and so many of them do-- they are terrible. Run away.

gutnor 12y ago

It is not only that - even when you run your own company you can and often are effectively dependent on your clients/market ( especially that big client making 80% of your revenue ), or the need of your dependents ( you still need to pay your mortgage ) . That's a common complain here on HN of founder "selling out", "losing the original spirit", ... There is a cultural bias for entrepreneur, especially in the US (that's not a bad thing BTW), so struggling directly against the market is seen as more glamorous then through a corporate structure/middleman. In the end, you are as in control of your destiny as much as your wealth permit, no matter how you made that wealth in the first place.

MCRed 12y ago
Here's the difference: When the market says something, I can react to it and improve immediately. For me the market is large and variety, it's not like a few people make up %80 of the income. Working for a corporation, in the most recent case, meant dealing with people who were so incompetent that they did everything I can think of to interfere with us reacting to the market. You know the saying about how people with nothing to do create work for others? Well, when you're a software team and the boss has zero software skills, or understanding, or care, you end up in a lot of pointless meetings. Seriously, I would get interrupted 200 times in a day. (I counted once). So, more risk, less secure money, but avoiding harassment, verbal abuse, manipulation, gas lighting, and 200 interruptions a day is a huge positive trade off. For me at least. Plus I get to see my parents for a few months while I pick out the next place I'm going to live.
- gutnor 12y ago
  You are just comparing a shit job to a good job, and well the shit job is shittier than the good one. Let's run with your example - what would have been your boss opinion ? Or if your business is growing and you need more people, how will you treat them and how should they feel ? You have a good job in a hot sector, enjoy it, don't try to generalise to everybody or other sectors. Actually, the article is all about people that don't share our luck.

Kurtz79 12y ago

Not all corporate jobs are soulless, mind crushing Orwellian nightmares, and nothing prevents you from looking for a fulfilling job if you are unhappy with your present one, especially in our field.

MCRed 12y ago
True, and I did spend some time looking. It's kinda sad, though, how our field seems to have devolved in the past 15 years. Startups today are much more corporate, more likely to be run by biz guys without appreciation for software, etc. Here's a good litmus test: If they have an open floor plan they clearly don't care about developers. If they BRAG about having an open floor plan-- and so many of them do-- they are terrible. Run away.