

Programming is an easy way to procrastinate - helwr
http://maxkle.in/programming-is-a-way-to-procrastinate/

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axod
Surely the other point is that "wanting to be rich" isn't a good start.

"wanting to be successful, create something useful and have fun" is a far
better mindset to have.

Do something because you love it. Not because you believe it'll make you rich.

I don't really agree with the conclusion here particularly, maybe there are
_some_ people like that, but there's a sure fire way to be successful.

    
    
      * Create something that solves a problem
      * Get people to use it
      * Work out how to monetize it
    

Seems that the average software developer can do 1 and 2 pretty easily without
stretching themselves. 3 may be a little more work, but once you have 1 and 2,
it's not hard to try a few models and see what works.

I'm sure some software developers do fall into the trap of developing
something that only solves their own problem, and no one elses, and maybe
that's the 'procrastinating' bit.

~~~
famfam
I don't think #1's easy at all. I think identifying real problems is actually
incredibly hard. Sure it's easy to dream problems up ("you know, I think my
pet needs a microblogging service...) But to identify real problems requires a
reasonable amount of domain specific knowledge. For developers, their primary
domain tends to be ... software development. And at least for me, there's
something strangely unpleasant about work that's so meta/recursive. Not to
mention, you might be up against open source, if you're trying to build a
saleable product.

I mean if you've done your homework on #1, #2 should flow from it, minus
bureaucracy/long sales cycles/etc. And so should #3. If you've really solved a
real problem, people should see your value.

~~~
axod
Yeah ok, not easy, but doable. Anyone here could start a "community for fish
tank owners" and make a ton of money from it.

The problem can be fairly mundane and not even unique. You just have to do it
well, be enthusiastic and put your all into it.

Also, it's fairly likely you may need to try out 100 ideas, maybe more, before
you find one that is good.

It's _way_ easier to try 100 ideas until one succeeds, than doing a
comprehensive 'on paper' analysis of ideas and assessing the risk of each one,
building the one you've chosen, launching it and finding that it falls flat.

I seriously shy away from "saleable product", so my thoughts are purely from a
conventional ad supported website model.

~~~
jacquesm
> Anyone here could start a "community for fish tank owners" and make a ton of
> money from it.

I highly doubt that it would as easy as you make it seem.

Communities have critical mass and if you do not have a very good reason for
people to switch or tap in to an existing userbase then you'll be surprised
how hard this really is. I'm actually surprised that you think that 'doing it
well and putting your all in to it' would be enough to make it work, that's
suspiciously close to 'built it and they will come'.

~~~
axod
It's fairly easy:

    
    
      * Create a website, get affiliate links setup for
        selling fishtanks etc
      * Create cool content people will stay around for
      * Setup mailing list to further monetize etc
      * Start spending money on adwords etc to get people to join
      * Start optimizing to make sure you make more money than
        you spend
    

That's only one way, but it's pretty sure to work if you stay on the ball.

~~~
Groxx
_Create cool content people will stay around for_

And that's the hard part. You might as well have said "Write a best-seller,"
though the barrier of entry is a bit lower.

~~~
axod
It depends. You can make money simply finding people who want stuff, and
pointing them at stuff.

Having content can just be an optional extra which brings repeat sales.

~~~
Groxx
And how does one find the stuff people want?

s/best-seller/better money-making algorithm/

Just like _every_ entrepreneur. And what, 90% of them fail? Yep, it sure is
easy.

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famfam
This is so spot on. A lot of people seem to have the mental model of: "hey! i
love programming!" dot dot dot (several miles of dots) "hey! i want to be
rich!" - "i can program my way to being rich!" No, you can't. You need to
design, program, market, and sell, minimally, your way to being rich.
Actually, you need to OUTdesign, OUTprogram, OUTmarket, and OUTsell your way
to being rich.

I get the feeling a lot of people here have built thing after thing they throw
on the scrap heap because after they're done building it, it's like "ah crap,
I have to like, MARKET this thing now?"

Maybe I'm just projecting...

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jessor
Interestingly enough, this goes somewhat against the PG essays "How to do what
you love" and "Good and Bad Procrastination" which I just recently read.

I guess he has a point in that there are problems that have to be dealt with
and you should go peak into unknown areas from time to time, but generally, I
think I have to disagree based on the stuff I learned from PG. Finding someone
that loves doing what oneself is avoiding (procrastinating) should be a better
solution than self-punishment (I second virtualmice's comment.)

Also, I don't like his tone. It's not quite written as a rant but sure sounds
like one.

~~~
patrickk
" _They want to mindlessly program, or read blogs that tell them how they will
get rich.

That’s like a girl watching TV all the time and saying she’s training to
become an actress._"

I thought that finished on a really bad note, and was an unnecessary low blow.

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strait
"For a software developer, software development is the easiest job in the
world."

-should be replaced with-

"For a software developer, software development can be the most satisfying job
in the world."

Maybe his observations are accurate, but his conclusions are way off. He
neglects to mention the psychological shift from the highly abstract
mathematical world to the real social world that can really be a difficulty
for many people.

~~~
lief79
I agree with the change and, like most posts, there is a bit of exaggeration
there, but it's easier to get rich if you can do this.

Alternately, you find a co-partner or someone else to off-source the work to.
However, as other posters have attested to, finding good assistants can often
be an equally difficult problem.

------
JoeAltmaier
How to make a million dollars, and not pay any taxes! First,...make a million
dollars. Then, Don't Pay Any Taxes! - Steve Martin

