Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit | urthor's comments login

A very important clarification.

Sounds like office workers only.


How does this even work in Japan after this change.

There's so many stories of corporate overwork.

Does the entire country just desperately want to work for the government?


I guess only Nixon could go to China?

When the US government adopts an employment policy private companies usually follow. Either because they do business with the government and have to comply, or it affects so many people there's a shift in norms.


30 year fixed mortgages are actually not as good of an idea as you'd think.

I actually spent a significant part of my early career working with real estate economists.

A bunch of economists I know actually lost money fixing their mortgages in 2008. They fixed at too high a rate and weren't prepared for the low interest rates environment.


Did they know that they could refinance as rates drop?


Yea, if you owned a home and didn't refinance when rates dropped below 3% you were crazy.


> My second advice is to always behave as if you are going to leave tomorrow. This will prepare your team and your peers and even improve your lifestyle.

This is very good advice.


Because it's the complete opposite of being a PhD student I'd imagine.


> Because it's the complete opposite of being a PhD student I'd imagine.

I'd rather guess the following relationship: IQ is positively correlated with "openness to experience" in the five-factor model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits

Concerning this particular trait: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits#Op...

"Open [to expererience] people can be perceived as unpredictable or lacking focus, and more likely to engage in risky behaviour or drug-taking. Moreover, individuals with high openness are said to pursue self-actualisation specifically by seeking out intense, euphoric experiences."


Or: it’s a good excuse to procrastinate another day and grade those exams next week.


A good route is a puzzle you solve with your mind and body; I'm not sure it's all that different, except for not having an advisor.

N.B. Never aspired to an advanced degree, but I know a lot of people with them.


HA.

That's actually a remarkable statistic.


It would've been more statistically remarkable had there been more than 5 people in that class.


Well said.


Ha. This is excellent.


I must admit, I read this and failed to find any profound, deep way that these coders are different.

Seems like they just worked hard.


> I must admit, I read this and failed to find any profound, deep way that these coders are different.

I have come to the same conclusion.

> Seems like they just worked hard.

I would like to draw another conclusion. Fitzgerald operated live journal from his bedroom as a teenager - so he was at the brink of new technology. Same effect that gave rise to Bill Gates. There are probably more effects at play, like working for a company that does not waste your time doing bullshit tasks and having a mentor to get you started. Even a like minded individual will increase your chances to overcome obstacles.


They all debug using printf and hard thinking. No fancy tools. I like to play with tools, but they showed me that they really that important.


I read it as a collection of stories from on the job.


they just worked hard (which many people do) — on things that mattered (which many people don't)


What an extraordinary story.

That's hugely touching, I'll remember it forever.


Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: