
I Quit My Day Job.  Thanks. - vijayr
http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?biz.5.793588.19
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billybob
Would be nice if the link showed this was from DISCUSS.joelonsoftware.com...
My first reaction was "Joel quit his day job!?!"

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vaksel
mine was "wait...Joel had a job?"

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smanek
Congrats Patrick!

For entirely selfish reasons, I hope you start consulting for
AdWords/marketing/optimization stuff :-D (If you do, please contact me! (email
in profile)).

BCC seems like a great way for you to have learned a lot, but I hope you find
a new product that is really worthy of you!

Incidentally, is it normal for a company to want you to stick around for 6+
months? I usually give 2 weeks notice, but offer to stay for 4 if needed ...

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Tuna-Fish
It depends a lot on the job culture.

When you are downsized in the US, a security guard escorts you to the door. In
Germany, an engineer I know was fired last year (business reasons). He will
continue working until june.

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ahi
might labor regulations have something to do with this? German corps might
have an incentive to keep him working while he looks for a job rather than
having to pay some kind of severance/unemployment?

I never really understood the rationale behind laying someone off then
escorting them out the door. Presumably its so they don't damage the company
in some way because they're pissed. But a major reason people are pissed is
because their employer just fucked them over. People can handle being fired
for business reasons if it doesn't throw them right out on the street. People
can handle "I'm sorry, but we can't afford you past April. Let me know if you
need a reference or need to take time for an interview." Apparently, HR is
never taught common decency.

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vijayr
That is Patrick (patio11) of Bingo Card Creator.

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staunch
I reject this announcement as invalid, for having not been done on HN. _Scoff_

Really though, he hinted before, so this is good news. I can't wait to see
what his sales charts start doing, once he's been full-time for a few months.

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mahmud
Yeah, discuss.joelonsoftware.com is for shareware developers.

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Elepsis
A category which Bingo Card Creator fits into pretty handily.

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patio11
This is sort of an aside, but I will _never_ describe my software as shareware
within earshot of a customer. (I sometimes use the word as a shortcut for "I
sell B2C software over the Internet" around other developers.)

I think shareware is an outmoded name, an outmoded distribution model, and has
connotations that I do not want for my business. _Everyone_ selling software
as a product has a "try before you buy" option these days. You can download an
evaluation version of _Microsoft Office_. In that respect, shareware has
conquered its rude conquerors.

But do I really want my customers sharing my software? No. I have a website,
it is the authoritative place for it. I don't depend on viral distribution of
my software, like classical shareware distributors did many many years ago
when passing copies of executables to your friends was likely to result in a
good user experience.

My customers (largely non-technical folks) may not understand what shareware
means and, to the extent they have any impression of the word, it is probably
negative. For example, they might think it is "software I don't have to pay
for" or "cruddy software which is going to give my Google a virus." I don't
want my customers thinking they don't have to pay for my cruddy software which
is going to give their Google a virus. I want them thinking "I have a problem
and paying Patrick is the fastest way to solve it." Branding myself as
shareware does not get me any closer to that objective.

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maxklein
You know what the comments remind me of? The scene in the TV series "The
Corner" when one of the female addicts finally decides to quit and go off into
rehab, and how all the other addicts encouraged her and were happy for her,
while themselves remaining stuck in their drug moor.

You should watch that show, by the way.

~~~
patio11
Are you under the impression that most of them remain employed as working
stiffs? Because I know at least half of them are full-time (and my sales would
be rounding error to most of them).

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Poiesis
There are many lurkers living vicariously. :)

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rokhayakebe
I am sure Patio11 will go own to do great things. I often find myself saying
"Damn this guy is smart" after reading his opinions on just about anything.

Good luck Pat.

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kpanghmc
Not trying to be rude, but who is Patrick McKenzie? From what I've gathered,
he created an app called Bingo Card Creator and blogs about it. I haven't had
a chance to peruse his entire blog, but I'm assuming that his posts are pretty
solid to justify this being news?

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vijayr
His blog is a joy to read, and one can learn lots from it. But more
importantly, he is always willing to help - just take a look at YC and BoS
forums, he is always sharing his knowledge, giving advice etc.

Well deserved. Congrats Patrick.

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dpapathanasiou
Congratulations and good luck!

Are you staying in Japan?

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abstractbill
Nice, congrats on making the jump Patrick, I've really enjoyed your BCC posts.

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alanthonyc
Awesome news! Glad to hear you are doing what you want to do.

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gommm
Congratulation Patrick!

I second John Clark's comment on the business of software forum. You should
see if you can negotiate some freelance work with your ex-employer, that's
what I did with the company I used to work for in Japan and it worked very
well.

And, if you can justify a certain amount of revenue each months like this it
can help renew your visa in Japan.

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icey
Wow, congrats Patrick!

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ryanwaggoner
I've been waiting for this for a long time. Congrats to Patrick!

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runevault
Awesome! Been wondering when you'd get to that point, since you've been
growing BCC at such a steady pace, with what seems like a limited time thanks
to your day job.

Also, your comments about the way things are in the Japanese workforce make me
glad I don't work over there ;-)

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bluedanieru
You shouldn't feel that way. Labor protection is much, much stronger in Japan
than the US, or many other first-world nations, for that matter. Having said
that he's right to point out that the social contract is generally more
important, however if you're being taken advantage of the law is on your side.

As for self-employment I can't imagine it's much harder, if for no other
reason than health insurance/care is cheap and easy to come by, but I don't
have any direct experience there. Seems to be a fair bit of self-employed IT
folks in Tokyo though, particularly among non-Japanese.

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nandemo
_Labor protection is much, much stronger in Japan than the US, or many other
first-world nations, for that matter._

It's not that simple. Although permanent employees can't be fired easily,
dispatched workers and temps are a significant (and growing) proportion of the
workforce and may be fired at will.

We don't have long vacations like in some European countries, nor do we have
"sick days" (lots of national holidays, though).

Some companies put a cap on overtime pay (not on overtime work), some smaller
ones don't pay it at all. And so on.

You're right about the law being on the worker's side. Most people won't sue,
though.

 _As for self-employment I can't imagine it's much harder,_

I think it's not hard bureaucracy-wise, except for potential visa problems. I
wonder how Patrick will deal with that (I once had an offer to work as
contractor but had to reject in part because of visa headaches).

Many translators are self-employed. But I don't know anyone working in IT that
is self-employed, probably because most Japanese companies don't like to hire
individual IT contractors. Or maybe my sample is too small.

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keeptrying
Congrats Patrick. I'm planning to do the same soon, maybe in about 4 momth.
The whole process of planning for it does feel like running off of a cliff for
me. You have been a source of inspiration !!

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bigsassy
I know this doesn't add to the conversation, but Congratulations Patrick!

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bbuffone
Did he get a recoding contract? "Will single founders please stand up?"

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samh
<http://www.samonsoftware.com/?p=361>

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qeorge
Congratulations Patrick. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Best of luck with everything.

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Arun2009
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, you're free at last!

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iamelgringo
Congrats, Patrick!

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revorad
Congrats Patrick!

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paraschopra
Congrats Patrick! Excited to hear whats next.

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yanilkr
So did Rob Glaser.

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growingconcern
I don't understand why this post has the #1 spot

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jmatt
As vijayr put it

 _That is Patrick (patio11) of Bingo Card Creator._

He's an active member of the community.

See <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1050982>

