4 ms·

Lesson: Be on the hiring side of the table. That is, be an entrepreneur. As someone with some high value, tough to get paid that value as an employee; that's

by graycat 11y ago

Lesson: Be on the hiring side of the table. That is, be an entrepreneur. As someone with some high value, tough to get paid that value as an employee; that's a very old lesson. E.g., I've been programming for decades and am doing so now in my startup, but my programming background doesn't meet the criteria in the job ads. So, I have little or no experience with Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, Linux, Unix, Haskell, Scheme, Lisp, C#, functional programming, etc. Instead for my platform I selected Windows instead of Linux. On Windows I selected Visual Basic .NET (VB) instead of C#. Why? Because for my work both VB and C# are essentially equivalent ways to build on the common language runtime (CLR) and .NET Framework, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, SQL Server, etc. And for my work, C# and VB differ mostly just in the flavor of syntactic sugar. I prefer the flavor of VB because: C# borrows much of the deliberately "idiosyncratic" syntax of C. Sure, way back in the DEC PDP-8 with 8 KB of main memory, some of the sparse C syntax may have seemed good to have. While there are still some good uses for C, now for my work C is like digging a Panama Canal with a teaspoon and VB and C# are far ahead. No C for me, thank you. Much the same for C++ (e.g., tough to avoid memory leaks -- tough to be really clear on just what the heck Stroustrup wrote). So, I like the more verbose, traditional (Algol, Fortran, PL/I, Pascal, etc.) syntax of VB instead of the more sparse, idiosyncratic syntax of C#. So, to me, VB is easier to write and read and, when I start to hire, teach and learn. So, it's VB. The .NET Framework? It's a major hunk of software, one of the most important in computing. Microsoft is solidly behind it, and they have several tens of billions of dollars in cash to back what they want. Microsoft has long seen their business as that of supplying a platform for others to build on, and their .NET Framework is one of their most important planks in their platform. For my work, .NET has a class for nearly everything of any general purpose utility. So, often my code becomes mostly just mortar to join .NET bricks. For more, ASP.NET has a way to write Web pages, and so far it seems mostly from okay up to fine with me. ADO.NET has a way to get to relational data base and, again, seems mostly from okay up to fine with me. For Python, maybe I will use it for some of its good packages, if doing so becomes worthwhile for my work. For Java, don't need it. If I had already used it, then I wouldn't use it now and would forget it. For JavaScript, so far for my Web pages ASP.NET has written a little JavaScript for me, but I have yet to write a single line. If I need it, then I will use it -- so far I don't need it. For Lisp, too many parentheses, and I'd have no idea how to get to the .NET Framework. For algorithms and data structures, been there, done that, learned it, used it, taught it in college and graduate school, done original work in it. For the engineering, I've got a Ph.D. in engineering from a world famous research university. Some of that background is crucial for my startup. It appears that the jobs with the job ads would make no use of that background -- a big advantage for my startup. Besides, nearly no one hiring would be able to evaluate my Ph.D. work. And nearly anyone hiring would be afraid to have a Ph.D. subordinate. So, the job ads and I agree to disagree: They don't want me, and I don't want them. If my startup works and I need to hire for software development, then I will. Main qualifications: (A) Some okay basic computer usage and familiarity and interest. (B) Good at reading and writing technical material. (C) A good record in a college STEM major. (D) Otherwise looks like potentially a good employee. Having programmed a little would be a plus. That's what I'll hire for. It's not so strange: It's how I got hired in a Watson lab AI group, and they hired for the right stuff. The job ads for software developers are sick-o. That others are making such mistakes is good for my startup.

woah 11y ago
What if you needed something specific like a mobile or web app? Would you have someone with a good degree from a nice university fumble with it for a few months, or would you hire someone with the experience to be up and running in hours?
- graycat 11y ago
  If I wanted a good, long term employee, then I'd hire one. If I just wanted a specific app, then I'd contact a freelance consultant or a software house for just that job and, maybe, a few revisions. For the poor employee, why the heck do they want to get hired just to write a first mobile app? So, is that job worth their uprooting their family, moving across country, buying a house, getting good schools for the kids, having their spouse happy, maybe also with a job, etc.? Same for bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, payroll, business insurance, business law, setting up system monitoring and management for a server farm, network configuration, travel planning, employee benefits, etc. For details of how to make use of high end products of Microsoft, Cisco, etc., I'd expect some good technical sales support and, later, some more technical support even if paid for by the hour. E.g., to set up some parallel, highly reliable, high performance, high end SQL Server database, I'd expect a lot of help from Microsoft. Same for much of their system monitoring and management software. If HP wants my startup to use some of their system monitoring and management software, then they'd better have their technical support people ready to play. I don't intend to hire full time employees with such expertise in place before I hire them; if they happen to have such expertise and look good as employees otherwise, then fine. Same for running 500 A of 120 V electric power lines, fixing the HVAC or the plumbing, installing an employee kitchenette, installing phones, mowing the grass, plowing the snow, etc.
dropit_sphere 11y ago
So......what are you working on?
- graycat 11y ago
  An Internet search engine for the safe for work and legal Internet content, searches people want to do, and results they want to find where keywords/phrases work from poorly down to not at all. So my work is for a part of search served at best poorly now. Thus, my work is not really in competition with anything else out there now. Keywords/phrases often work very well, and there my work is rarely as good. While the broad idea for the users and the UI are simple and intuitive, the business model, UI/UX, data from the user, database in the server farm, and the manipulations of all that data are wildly different from anything else in search. Can read all you want on the Internet about various ways to build a search engine and still won't get even a hint about how my search engine works, not the UI and not the core server side software. Broadly part of the idea is to give the user search results, that is, Internet content, that has a useful approximation to the meaning the user wants. So, the search engine is trying to get at or approximate meaning. For this meaning, there's some math involved -- original with me, right, with some theorems and proofs, typed into Knuth's TeX, and with some advanced prerequisites. I especially thank A. Kolmogorov. From my Ph.D. and published papers, I'm supposed to be able to do such research in math, and I have. Of course the users will not be aware of anything mathematical -- the math is all buried in the deepest part of the server side software. The key part of the whole project is just the math: If stare at the theorems and proofs of the math, then can get convinced that it should work quite well for its intended part of search. Given the math, the software is routine and even next to trivial. Maybe it is appropriate to call the project a case of information technology, but the software is so simple that it's not fair to say that it is a software project. Instead, plainly, it's a math project, with some original math, but might be called an applied math project. The work is intended to do very well honoring user privacy. The revenue is from just the most obvious source -- ads from ad networks. And I have some ideas for especially good ad targeting, still doing well on user privacy, I intend to implement later. The core software has looked solid for a long time; it runs as just some Windows console applications that communicate via TCP/IP sockets and de/serialization of instances of a few simple Visual Basic classes. The timings of the core software look quite good and much better with some selected use of solid state disks -- write rarely, read frequently. There are good log files for the Web site and also the core software. Fairly simple processing of the log files should give a good view of what the users are doing and the performance of the server farm. What's left to do is putting a Web site in front of that core software. The software for the Web pages is also nearly done: I should be able to get the last bugs out of the Web pages this weekend. The Web pages are so simple that they should present no performance challenges. E.g., the most complicated Web page sends for only about 400,000 bits. Fixing the last bugs in the Web pages, then the alpha version of all the software should be done. Then I will give a critical review and do the beta version. I wrote no prototype code; when the beta version looks good and is nicely free of bugs, that will be the production version 1.0. The code I wrote is as solid as what a team I was on at IBM's Watson lab wrote and shipped as IBM Program Products, IBM's highest quality software product category. My Web pages are so simple and small (exactly 800 pixels wide but a user could get by seeing only the left 300 pixels of width) that they should look good on any screen from a work station down to a smart phone. As we know very well by now, Internet search is just super important, in the US and around the world. Well, a significant fraction of search is served at best poorly, and my guess is that nearly all Internet users will want a good search engine for that fraction and will be able to see that my work is by far the best for that fraction. So, that's the source of my confidence that my project might be successful. If the project works at all well, then I shouldn't have any trouble, say, buying a new car! While I'm a solo founder and did all the work, on this project I'm an entrepreneur, not a programmer. If this project is successful, then I will want to hire some people for some routine programming, and I will train them and, then, let the first such batch set up a training program, e.g., with video lectures, for later programmers. But looking at the job ads, it's clear I'd never get hired as a programmer. Moreover, the venture capital people and YC want nothing to do with me and won't until I have traction. But for the amount of traction they want, I would have revenue enough not to need or be willing to accept equity funding. No, I don't have four kids and a pregnant wife. Also I'm terrified of the idea of reporting to a BoD. I just can't think of a realistic BoD that could understand the core work. When at an eary Board meeting I gave the math for the ad targeting to be done, most of the Board members would get so upset they'd leave a smelly trail all the way to the little boy's or little girl's room. I'd have hose off and totally redecorate the Board room and everything on the path to the little rooms. They'd try to execute their fiduciary responsibilities and, too soon, totally blow their fuses. One of the more unpleasant experiences in life is listening to a math lecture with theorems and proofs where really do want and need to understand but don't have even 1% of the essential prerequisites. My guess is that any usual startup BoD would have my company totally dead in less than 18 months. They might try to save the company by, say, selling cupcakes on-line! So, I am 100% owner and should stay that way. It's been noted more than once in recent months that it's now possible for a solo entrepreneur to bring up a successful Internet based business. Actually, so far I've seen no reason to hire people. Instead, it's my business and up to me to make it go.

by graycat 11y ago

woah 11y ago

What if you needed something specific like a mobile or web app? Would you have someone with a good degree from a nice university fumble with it for a few months, or would you hire someone with the experience to be up and running in hours?

graycat 11y ago
If I wanted a good, long term employee, then I'd hire one. If I just wanted a specific app, then I'd contact a freelance consultant or a software house for just that job and, maybe, a few revisions. For the poor employee, why the heck do they want to get hired just to write a first mobile app? So, is that job worth their uprooting their family, moving across country, buying a house, getting good schools for the kids, having their spouse happy, maybe also with a job, etc.? Same for bookkeeping, accounting, taxes, payroll, business insurance, business law, setting up system monitoring and management for a server farm, network configuration, travel planning, employee benefits, etc. For details of how to make use of high end products of Microsoft, Cisco, etc., I'd expect some good technical sales support and, later, some more technical support even if paid for by the hour. E.g., to set up some parallel, highly reliable, high performance, high end SQL Server database, I'd expect a lot of help from Microsoft. Same for much of their system monitoring and management software. If HP wants my startup to use some of their system monitoring and management software, then they'd better have their technical support people ready to play. I don't intend to hire full time employees with such expertise in place before I hire them; if they happen to have such expertise and look good as employees otherwise, then fine. Same for running 500 A of 120 V electric power lines, fixing the HVAC or the plumbing, installing an employee kitchenette, installing phones, mowing the grass, plowing the snow, etc.

dropit_sphere 11y ago

So......what are you working on?

graycat 11y ago
An Internet search engine for the safe for work and legal Internet content, searches people want to do, and results they want to find where keywords/phrases work from poorly down to not at all. So my work is for a part of search served at best poorly now. Thus, my work is not really in competition with anything else out there now. Keywords/phrases often work very well, and there my work is rarely as good. While the broad idea for the users and the UI are simple and intuitive, the business model, UI/UX, data from the user, database in the server farm, and the manipulations of all that data are wildly different from anything else in search. Can read all you want on the Internet about various ways to build a search engine and still won't get even a hint about how my search engine works, not the UI and not the core server side software. Broadly part of the idea is to give the user search results, that is, Internet content, that has a useful approximation to the meaning the user wants. So, the search engine is trying to get at or approximate meaning. For this meaning, there's some math involved -- original with me, right, with some theorems and proofs, typed into Knuth's TeX, and with some advanced prerequisites. I especially thank A. Kolmogorov. From my Ph.D. and published papers, I'm supposed to be able to do such research in math, and I have. Of course the users will not be aware of anything mathematical -- the math is all buried in the deepest part of the server side software. The key part of the whole project is just the math: If stare at the theorems and proofs of the math, then can get convinced that it should work quite well for its intended part of search. Given the math, the software is routine and even next to trivial. Maybe it is appropriate to call the project a case of information technology, but the software is so simple that it's not fair to say that it is a software project. Instead, plainly, it's a math project, with some original math, but might be called an applied math project. The work is intended to do very well honoring user privacy. The revenue is from just the most obvious source -- ads from ad networks. And I have some ideas for especially good ad targeting, still doing well on user privacy, I intend to implement later. The core software has looked solid for a long time; it runs as just some Windows console applications that communicate via TCP/IP sockets and de/serialization of instances of a few simple Visual Basic classes. The timings of the core software look quite good and much better with some selected use of solid state disks -- write rarely, read frequently. There are good log files for the Web site and also the core software. Fairly simple processing of the log files should give a good view of what the users are doing and the performance of the server farm. What's left to do is putting a Web site in front of that core software. The software for the Web pages is also nearly done: I should be able to get the last bugs out of the Web pages this weekend. The Web pages are so simple that they should present no performance challenges. E.g., the most complicated Web page sends for only about 400,000 bits. Fixing the last bugs in the Web pages, then the alpha version of all the software should be done. Then I will give a critical review and do the beta version. I wrote no prototype code; when the beta version looks good and is nicely free of bugs, that will be the production version 1.0. The code I wrote is as solid as what a team I was on at IBM's Watson lab wrote and shipped as IBM Program Products, IBM's highest quality software product category. My Web pages are so simple and small (exactly 800 pixels wide but a user could get by seeing only the left 300 pixels of width) that they should look good on any screen from a work station down to a smart phone. As we know very well by now, Internet search is just super important, in the US and around the world. Well, a significant fraction of search is served at best poorly, and my guess is that nearly all Internet users will want a good search engine for that fraction and will be able to see that my work is by far the best for that fraction. So, that's the source of my confidence that my project might be successful. If the project works at all well, then I shouldn't have any trouble, say, buying a new car! While I'm a solo founder and did all the work, on this project I'm an entrepreneur, not a programmer. If this project is successful, then I will want to hire some people for some routine programming, and I will train them and, then, let the first such batch set up a training program, e.g., with video lectures, for later programmers. But looking at the job ads, it's clear I'd never get hired as a programmer. Moreover, the venture capital people and YC want nothing to do with me and won't until I have traction. But for the amount of traction they want, I would have revenue enough not to need or be willing to accept equity funding. No, I don't have four kids and a pregnant wife. Also I'm terrified of the idea of reporting to a BoD. I just can't think of a realistic BoD that could understand the core work. When at an eary Board meeting I gave the math for the ad targeting to be done, most of the Board members would get so upset they'd leave a smelly trail all the way to the little boy's or little girl's room. I'd have hose off and totally redecorate the Board room and everything on the path to the little rooms. They'd try to execute their fiduciary responsibilities and, too soon, totally blow their fuses. One of the more unpleasant experiences in life is listening to a math lecture with theorems and proofs where really do want and need to understand but don't have even 1% of the essential prerequisites. My guess is that any usual startup BoD would have my company totally dead in less than 18 months. They might try to save the company by, say, selling cupcakes on-line! So, I am 100% owner and should stay that way. It's been noted more than once in recent months that it's now possible for a solo entrepreneur to bring up a successful Internet based business. Actually, so far I've seen no reason to hire people. Instead, it's my business and up to me to make it go.