
How an explorer of the South Pole did his employee recruiting - mathoda
http://mathoda.com/archives/471
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DaniFong
More interesting, I think, is the story of how they got themselves out of
there after their boat was crushed in the pack ice. Utterly incredible.
Navigators still regard their voyage and successful navigation to South
Georgia island as practically supernatural. They traveled for 800 miles in the
most hazardous south seas with scarcely any light in terrible weather. They
were only able to make three readings. But they got right there.

"Most unfavourable conditions for observations. Misty with boat jumping like a
flea and no limb for early am sight. Noon lat probably correct within a 10m
limit."

\-- Navigator's log.

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herdrick
That is great stuff, but I favor Amundsen. For one thing he beat everyone to
the Pole. His clearer thinking meant success and less suffering as a bonus.

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AndrewWarner
Compare that to the way companies like Google coddle their people.

Ever notice how founders and early hires push themselves to the brink with no
regard for comfort. And then, after they make it, they change their culture
and encourage fancy lunches, massages, etc?

Is that why mighty companies start languishing?

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chaostheory
"Do you pine for the nice days of minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote their
own device drivers? Are you without a nice project and just dying to cut your
teeth on a OS you can try to modify for your needs? Are you finding it
frustrating when everything works on minix? No more all- nighters to get a
nifty program working? Then this post might be just for you :-)

As I mentioned a month(?) ago, I'm working on a free version of a minix-
lookalike for AT-386 computers. It has finally reached the stage where it's
even usable (though may not be depending on what you want), and I am willing
to put out the sources for wider distribution..." - Linus Torvalds

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patio11
Which ad is your startup putting out?

Wanted. People (realistically, mostly men, but we live in enlightened times so
we cloak reality in rhetoric) for programming. Low wages. Long hours, many in
darkness, illuminated primarily by monitors. Maintenance of social life and
health doubtful. Success extraordinarily unlikely. Riches beyond your wildest
dreams in event of success.

 _or_

Wanted. People who make things people pay for. Hours are not really
remarkable. Engineering challenges are not really remarkable. Success is by no
means assured but it is pretty likely. In the event of success, you'll do
quite well but the honor and accolades will go to the one of the guys
answering the other ad.

I kind of like ad #2 myself...

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neilk

       Luke: Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be...
       Han Solo: What? 
       Luke: Well, more wealth than you can imagine!
       Han Solo: I don't know, I can *imagine* quite a bit.
    

Do you really think startups are the road to "riches beyond your wildest
dreams"? Most of them get sold for finite amounts of cash, last time I
checked. Typically, even key employees just get a few tens of thousands of
dollars, and a stack of options that might be underwater before you exercise.

Becoming a millionaire is of course possible, but that barely gets you a down
payment on a nice house in the Bay Area. This is very imaginable wealth.

You want to experience unimaginable wealth? Take a few thousand in savings and
live in Laos for a while. Your wealth will literally be unimaginable to most
of the natives you meet.

~~~
h34t
Excellent point about Laos. That place is amazing. A subway-sized sandwich for
$1 on the street. People who spontaneously smile at you on the street.
Beautiful nature all around you. Not only good for the pocketbook, but the
psyche as well.

I burnt out working in China, saved money by teaching SAT prep in Beijing and
then fully recovered my senses in Lao.

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ken
Doubtful it was the London Times, and probably entirely apocryphal:
<http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm>

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dhotson
Shackleton .. truly legendary.

For those who haven't read about his story:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-
Antarctic_Expedi...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-
Antarctic_Expedition)

.. amazing stuff.

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wallflower
Very interesting posts about the digital presidency - dig on his site.

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mathoda
Thanks! They got written about in the NY Times :-)

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mixmax
A sure way of seperating the boys from the men.

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Jebdm
Or at least suicidal (adventurous?) men from the others.

