My entire career, as short as it still is. In the last 8 years I've worked for 3 companies. Every single new project I've worked on has suffered from continuous feature creep; irreconcilable contract disputes; or immediate obsolescence.
My wins are fixing little bugs, I have no career achievements.
Totally feeling the same frustration here. The only projects I have worked on that have stood the test of time are my own side projects.
This has led me to conclude that most forms of employment in the software industry will leave you with little to speak for. You have to create your own thing if you want to make an impact.
Level up my skills and creativity to create a "lifestyle" business that I can be passionate that also provides enough for me to pay my bills and more, be my own boss, own my time, etc
This exactly! I'd like to make enough money from a project of mine to comfortably support myself, while also enjoying the project itself. The first part is hard, but the second is easy, because I only start projects that I like! (Current project is https://IndieHackers.com, launched a month ago, so far so good!)
Oh wow, what a coincidence. I was just reading it last night (had bookmarked it earlier and decided to read it yesterday). Very cool project though, would love it if the interviews were longer / turned into podcasts
To start my own company and become a billionaire in ten years time so that I can fully concentrate on pursuing other life interests for the rest of my life. (I don't mind becoming politically influential as I intend to use those powers for the good (no seriously) but that is secondary.)
You can probably pursue your interests with a lot less than a billion dollars! YMMV depending on your interests, of course.
If, for example, you were able to build a business that could bring in $300k-$500k net annually without requiring you to spend all of your time on the business, what percentage of your life interests would you be able to pursue?
Not a lot of them, about a third only, and certainly not wholeheartedly with gay abandon, which would be a shame as I am really want to do things wholeheartedly with gay abandon. My milage does vary (MMDV).
that I will succeed in making a spreadsheet editor that is better then excel (not hard) and will be widely use by the majority of people (hard). I want to destroy excel after the all the time I've had to endure vba or deal with its stupid intricacies . im bitter. and I hate excel
Early on in my career, I released a somewhat successful iOS app for skateboarders. It was really cool seeing monthly revenue come in, even if it was only a few hundred dollars.
I basically want that same feeling times 20, so I'm getting enough to live on from my own products.
I also want to work on projects where I either have full creative control or get to work with great designers who I mostly agree with.
I want the financial comfort to confidently say 'no' to every bad idea I hear.
An interest in possibilities. What if I apply myself to a data set that reveals fundamental truths about the universe? Or how to communicate with extraterrestrials? Or reveals fundamental truths about Earth?
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 85.1 ms ] threadMy wins are fixing little bugs, I have no career achievements.
This has led me to conclude that most forms of employment in the software industry will leave you with little to speak for. You have to create your own thing if you want to make an impact.
It's uncool but I'm enjoying learning more about WPF for this reason!
Dream? Writing code that is used continuously in production for centuries. ;)
But really: To raise a child and see her grow and learn about the world: http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2013-09-08
If, for example, you were able to build a business that could bring in $300k-$500k net annually without requiring you to spend all of your time on the business, what percentage of your life interests would you be able to pursue?
I basically want that same feeling times 20, so I'm getting enough to live on from my own products.
I also want to work on projects where I either have full creative control or get to work with great designers who I mostly agree with.
I want the financial comfort to confidently say 'no' to every bad idea I hear.