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I just want to code (2023)

(www.zachbellay.com)
288 points SCUSKU | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.019s | source
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cortesoft ◴[] No.43816318[source]
Am I the only coder who has never really felt the desire to "be my own boss" and get rich from coding?

I was so against the idea, actually, that I avoided majoring in CS because I didn't want to ruin my favorite hobby by doing it professionally.

It wasn't until a few years after I graduated with my philosophy degree and couldn't find a career that I decided to try writing code for a living.

It's been great for me for almost 20 years now, and thankfully I still love to code for fun even though I do it all day professionally, but I have not felt the pull to try to form my own startup and try to get rich.

My favorite part of coding is having a problem and then figuring out how to solve it with the tools I have. I love working as a programmer because that is what I do all day, and someone pays me really good money to do it.

And I don't have to worry about all the other stuff like business models or funding or getting customers or talking to people, I just get a problem and do my favorite thing to solve it.

And I have more time to do other things because I am not hustling or trying to get rich.

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999900000999 ◴[] No.43816435[source]
I like programming for my friends. The moment money gets involved it goes to shit. Idea guys want you to program for free , and offer you something like 1% vested over 5 years.

They have you sign NDAs before you start working. The ideas are all really really stupid.

I do have my ideas, but I’m also humble enough to just accept I’ll probably never make any real money. I self taught my way straight to 6 figures ( back in 2016 when that still meant something). That’s enough really…

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brulard ◴[] No.43820182{3}[source]
First thing for wannabe enterpreneurs to learn is that allmost all your ideas are shit, and those that are good still need a lot of luck and the best execution to get somewhere. How many good ideas didn't work for first startups that came with it, but worked for someone else years later?
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1. 999900000999 ◴[] No.43821924{4}[source]
I'm fine with building out stupid ideas, for one of two reasons.

One, we've been friends for a minimum of 5 years and I sincerely like you as a person.

Two, you pay me.

At least twice I've had situations where I basically need someone at a bar or something and within a week they're sending me a bunch of specs to program out something that will require a small team to do properly. Then when you do hack out a small prototype it's not good enough.

At this point in my life, I'd rather work on my own solo projects if anything. I'll release the code MIT and if someone smarter than me wants to make money off it they can

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2. brulard ◴[] No.43822299[source]
I'm there with you. So many times I have heard this, what a great opportunity for me: build another guys (I have met 5 minutes ago) idea. It's simple, just a clone of (youtube|twitter|foursquare|...) with a little twist. It will certainly make me rich, because I can have a small fraction share of the project. Salary? No, that's for losers. We are going to make it big.
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3. 999900000999 ◴[] No.43822367[source]
Even then, if you want to at least cut me in as an equal partner I think I'd be more inclined to build out your project. But that's not what I get, I get you and your other partners keep 97% of it, and at most I'll get 2% to 3% for building the whole thing.