
Tell HN: I used to be a hacker - EPRangler
I used to be a hacker.<p>I used to bounce around like a molecule, colliding with everything untiI I discovered every crack and backdoor by sheer persistence.<p>I used to sit in my parents basement for 14 hours straight without a single thought unrelated to the screen in front of me entering my head.<p>I once made $5 in a day. The money was meaningless, just a way to keep score.<p>I used to be a hacker, I was driven by pure curiosity and the joy of finding out.<p>I once made $100 in a day. I could actually buy stuff in real life.<p>The money wasn’t important to me. I wasn’t concerned about my future, my career, or what other people thought.<p>I once made $1000 in a day. I probably don’t need a real job. That’s nice.<p>The money wasn’t that important to me. I just wanted the freedom to travel and keep hacking without having to work for
someone.<p>I once made $27,000 in a day. My parents were proud of me because I was successful now.<p>The money wasn’t the most important thing to me. My expenses increased, but I lived below my means. I should probably invest in a tax deferred retirement account and make a linkedin profile.<p>I once made $1 million dollars in a day. I was now a professional internet entrepreneur.<p>I was no longer a hacker. I wanted to build a robust internet business with low overhead and diversified recurring revenue streams to be attractive for an eventual acquisition.<p>I was concerned with the landscape, the competition, and that guy on the cover of Inc magazine.<p>It became harder to figure things out. I felt like I was consuming twice the mental resources. I’m a successful internet entrepreneur now, and my identity is tied to the outcome.<p>Me today could never have done what I did back then. I don’t have the curiosity, the scrappiness, or the delusional optimism to even try.<p>To those just starting out who haven’t yet made a dollar and a cent, block out all the bullshit and hack.
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dirktheman
I visited a microbrewery last Saturday. The owner used to be a big shot
entrepeneur, but he lost it all and started over from scratch doing what he
loves the most: making beer.

He runs the brewery with his wife. He told me that he gets multiple offers a
month for selling his beers in consignment but that would mean ramping up the
production and the entire organization, and he doesn't want that. He said that
he could sustain himself with doing what he loves. As soon as his company
grows too much, he won't be able to do what he loves anymore.

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EPRangler
Just wrote this on my iphone in the car. Wanted to get it off my chest.
Anonymous for now please.

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iamthirsty
Glad you got this off your chest mate, but HN really isn't the place for it.

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rubbingalcohol
Is it though? IMO the progression from a pursuit of passion to the
practicality of profession and profit is particularly poignant, and pointful
in this place.

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cimmanom
It’d be perfectly reasonable to share a link to on HN after writing it in a
blog. But HN isn’t a blog or a blog hosting site.

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lgregg
Following that logic there shouldn't even be a way to submit text beyond a
title and url. I've got to disagree, I think this belongs here.

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cimmanom
I always figured the text was so you could elaborate on your _question_ since
Ask HN posts with just a title are often too vague to answer.

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tinktank
Dude, I feel you so much. I got into computing because I loved it. I used to
write TSRs and hack binaries for the fun of it. I did a degree, got a PhD in
it, got into academia, saw the pettiness and the money being made all around
me, eventually I just burnt out. Hate it now, do it because I have to.

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stealthcat
>do it because I have to.

I don't get it. Sorry can you explain

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HiroshiSan
I love this post, thank you.

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thecupisblue
Don't let the hacker die.

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malux85
Email me, I’m in a very similar situation. Let’s chat.

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is_true
You should be more specific on how or what were you doing?

Probably answering any of those questions more people would be interested in
this because they could learn something from your experience.

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EPRangler
I don't want to get into what I'm into. I'm not a role model for the young
guns. You won't understand until you're ready. 1 million is nothing. Money
flows like water on the internet. There is no secret barrier stopping you from
making millions. No one cares.

I see indie dev threads where kids are stoked they're making 2k a month.

That's a daily rounding error for dudes getting it and not talking about it.

It's is a matter of getting out of your own way, your ego, your
preconceptions.

If you don't have a dollar to your name yet, you need to be a few percent
delusional optimistic.

If you're real smart, most of your ideas will be crap, but one of those
thoughts will be very insightful. Respect your ideas, organize, categorize,
and execute on them accordingly. Kill the losers quickly.

This is not a talent show. All that matters is revenue. It is a technical
problem. Get out of your own way.

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segmondy
You just told us nothing.

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alain_gilbert
Oops [https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OdO-
SO...](https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OdO-
SO8gBAQJ:https://news.ycombinator.com/item%3Fid%3D17831235+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)

I was hesitating if I should post it or not since op didn't want to talk about
it... but well, I think a hacker should know that anything that reaches the
internet is not private anymore.

TLDR seems to be: affiliate programs & cookie stuffing

