

Ask HN: Other businesses? - HeyLaughingBoy

I'm curious how many of you have (or had) other non-software businesses large or small.
e.g., I'm into LED lighting and right now I'm designing small reading lamps I plan to sell on Etsy.
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jacquesm
I've had a gas station in Northern Canada, but it was a total failure, which
is sad. We got defrauded big time while we were in Europe and the whole thing
almost literally collapsed. Some of our employees had had the great idea to go
and gamble in the casino with the proceeds of the business, they would put
back the 'borrowed' money before we returned.

You can guess the rest.

By the time I found out about it (a supplier calling to Europe why we had not
paid for a month) it was much too late to salvage anything.

So, since then I try to stay out of retail as much as I can...

I lost some money, which was sad, but they lost their livelihood and their
reputations, which is probably more of a problem in the long term. It took me
a while to get over it though, I had a serious trust problem for a while.

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yannis
I had and have numerous over the years. I had a successful Contracting
business (electro-mechanical) for quite a few years, a Consulting Business in
the same field, a Computer School in the days that the masses wanted to learn
DOS :), a plastic bags factory. The software business has always been my
sideline even when luck was not on my side (running a couple of web projects
now).

The Contracting Business found a glorious end when the Zulus were marching in
central Johannesburg some years back and the Construction Industry just faded
away. The Computer School ran out of capital when Windows came out and I had
to replace 200 computers and I sold it to someone else (I hated mice for quite
a few years after that). The Plastics factory was a big thing for me until
they banned plastic bags and I cashed in! Oh! and I forgot and I had this
great software that was used for designing Halon 1301 Fire Protection systems
that all the big data Centers were using until the Ozone Layer appeared and
halon was banned! I am now busy with the greatest thing after Primavera!

I guess I am from the Old Hacker School. Isn't that what you guys do? Just let
your imagination roam and do things? Over the years two things kept being with
me right through all the businesses, I take time to revisit my Maths twice a
year and I program. It keeps me sane and now and then makes me some additional
income.

~~~
jacquesm
I think it was the ozone layer that was disappearing ;)

You're a busy bee, nice to see you active in so many different fields!

------
loganfrederick
An "entertainment" company with a friend. Currently shooting a short film and
produced/performed one theater play.

