HN Explorer

Tell HN: Will design for food

51 points by parque ↗ HN
Hey HN. I'm a senior UI designer (6+ years of experience. Have worked for Disney, MTV, United Nations, large banks and others cool companies).

I'm flying to California in the upcoming weeks and I'm looking to meet and work with cool startups for free. Yes, free. (Company size doesn't matter. NDA's are ok too).

I can help with branding, UI (web/mobile), presentation decks, & product design. For free. No equity either.

In exchange, I'm asking for food and a room to sleep. Ideally I will work with each startup up to 1 week and then move to another city/startup.

If you're interested lets chat!

46 comments

[ 5.1 ms ] story [ 96.5 ms ] thread
jedmeyers
Are you flying from overseas on tourist visa?
gerby
You want to know what, I'm going to call you out for this. I don't like people who are politically correct, and if you work for the Government, and truly believe that someone can "work" in another country without actually really working (in my opinion) because they're not making any money, and then have that person be rejected at the border for life (yes this really happens), among other things, for planning to "work" (according to you), for no money, you're part of the problem. This person is not asking for money. Stop trying to loop them into getting themselves in trouble, by admitting anything like that on a public forum, because I see you as potentially a politically-correct government troll collecting intelligence for evil purposes.
ludamad
Or this is an innocent question leading up a civil discussion of US law :)
gerby
I know a person who was helping his girlfriend in the US paint a house, for no money, who got deported for "working" even though there was no money involved, and it destroyed his relationship and now has him banned from the Republic. I have strong feelings about an overbearing government and was speaking my mind. It was also a warning to the person who posted the thread not to tell people anything like that on a public forum, as a public service.
jeremy_wiebe
Are you aware that border officials don't care about whether you are receiving compensation? If you are doing work an American could have performed they'll care.

Note: I'm Canadian but live close to the border and cross occasionally.

gerby
Yes, that's why I was suggesting the guy say nothing about his citizenship/visa status if he was indeed planning to help people for free. I'm the type of guy, where even if I'm open-minded about the government (and might even help them with my startup), I'm sticking up the little guy.

I would personally never "work" in the US without the right visa, because I am well-aware of the laws and am a very knowledgable man. I'm also reasonable, and the US government is not reasonable sometimes. I see that changing under Donald Trump, because I firmly believe that he will change his mind and end up being socially liberal because of people like Peter Thiel. I'm just doing a public service for this innocent man.

ryanx435
what does this have to do with trump?
gerby
Previous presidents enabled laws around people being considered "working" when they're not making a dime and it's destroyed families because noones considered changing it yet. I'd like to see Trump change that.

Downvote the fuck out of me, do I care? Of course not. I will always stick up for the little guy even when it's unpopular.

grzm
You care enough about down-voting to comment on it. Please don't.
DrScump
"Previous presidents enabled laws around people being considered "working" when they're not making a dime"

Please identify any one such law. Bonus points for describing how a President implements laws on his own.

gerby
Look, DrScump, if a Canadian (like the one I know) can get deported for helping his girlfriend who he spent 6 months of the year with (because he legally could without "working" with his visa), with painting a house for free, realistically there are laws and regulations which are an impediment to freedom. Times are changing, and I'm going to be the messenger, so that people like the guy who posted this remain free, even if it's unpopular and could keep me away from getting an investment, or help by performing a public service by telling him why he should say nothing to people about stuff like this if he was planning to help people for free. You can't help people for free and have freedom at the same time, according to past US government administrations, apparently.

Also, US Presidents on both sides of the political spectrum have issued "Executive Orders" to bypass both Congress and the Senate and write things into law. They are considered unconstitutional by some, and constitutional by others.

yarou
What a great person you are, liberator of the downtrodden immigrant! A divinely ordained role one must assume.
gerby
Haha! A person who believes in free speech I am. An otherwise legal immigrant who wants to help his girlfriend paint a house for free, being discriminated against, exiled from a country for life and having his love with his lady being shattered because of unreasonable governments (such as my friend)? No way. Never happens. I'm kidding. I will always stick up for what I believe in, even when it makes my karma on HN go from 10 to -1. By the way, I'm going to strongly suggest that this person not "work" for free (there's no money involved, room and board are NOT money) in a foreign country like the United States, the freest country in the world and also the most incarcerated population in the world. I'm also saying that if he does, he should shut his mouth and not tell people on HN.
jedmeyers
He is not planning to help "for free", he is planning to help in return for compensation which in this case will be "room and board". And I was asking the original question because not everyone who comes to the US on a tourist visa understands that this is not allowed and if something goes wrong this situation might turn ugly for him. If your suggestion is "break the law just be quiet about it" then I will just say that I don't recommend doing that.
yarou
What a bizarre rant.

I'm not sure what I find more absurd about your comment: it's either the fact that you think of yourself as some sort of self-appointed immigrant savior, or the cognitive dissonance you display when it comes to your political beliefs.

jackbquick
Is a portfolio link too much to ask when an individual petitions others to accept their brilliance and provide room and board?
keyle
Be sure to mention that you have the appropriate visa to allow this, and show what you did for those big brands!

Good luck, sounds like a fun adventure!

parque
I do have a business (not work) visa. Which allows me to make business in the US but not get hired. Which I'm not looking for first hand. Thanks!
jedmeyers
If this is B1 visa you are talking about, then it does not allow you to exchange your services for compensation. The only B1 traveling purpose that might fit you, in theory, is "training" where you are reimbursed for your living expenses, so you might look into that.

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/BusinessVisa%20Pu...

Inviz
How about consultancy work? That's what I did in US with B-1, and specificially I talked to border officer about this being legal.
jedmeyers
IANAL but I think that depends on whether or not a US entity pays for the actual consulting.
deepnotderp
Will you be coming to portland?
parque
Never been to Portland! Happy to go there! Hit me up!
deepnotderp
Any timeline? Also, what exactly are you doing? Seems like you have the money to go out and fly places, so why do you need a place to stay? Just asking.
parque
The whole point is about visiting places I never been to before (or some that I loved and want to go back like DC, Miami, etc) and getting to know local entrepreneurs there.

This would be sometime next month. I'm scheduling my trip now because the amount of offers I've received it's pretty great. Drop me a line and let's chat.

doozy
If you are good at something never do it for free.
paulcole
You should write Chicken Soup for the Designer's Soul-- just don't do it for free.

Seriously though, as easy as it is to post cliches, can't you imagine situations where you should work for free? Like in the situation OP is in, a foreign national who can't accept payment for work in the US?

ajkjk
That aphorism assumes some things about a person's goals in life that don't hold for everybody.
Havoc
Agreed, though this is perhaps an exception. Its obviously a lifestyle choice rather than a long-term strategy:

>I will work with each startup up to 1 week and then move to another city/startup.

jackbquick
I have 12+ years of engineering experience and would do it for free given it provided valuable experience or connections that I couldn't obtain otherwise
kaa2102
Let me know if you come to the Washington, DC area!
parque
Happy to go there. DC is my favorite city in the US. Let's chat!
DrScump
What you seek to do is illegal, and I'd consider any company who offers to take you up on it as suspect.
parque
It would be illegal if I work AND get payed. The whole point is not really about this. I'm doing this just so I can get to know and work first hand with a bunch of awesome entrepreneurs and also visit places that I haven't been before!
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
DrScump 

  It would be illegal if I work AND get payed
No, minimum wage laws still apply; Federal law offers a baseline while many states have a higher threshold.
peller
Can you explain how what OP's proposing is any different from bartering? What makes wage laws apply, other than OP's perhaps not their primary language word choice? I'm genuinely curious, because it sounds like an entirely reasonable request to me - but I'm no lawyer.
DrScump
You can't "barter" labor, either. Allowing it would leave room for a return of a lot of abuse, especially in the hospitality industry (e.g. jobs that elicit substantial tips, like a cocktail waitress in a resort).

Whatever you think of their effect on what the OP wants to do, such laws are well-intended and are a response to a legacy of past such abuses.

coldtea
You must be fun at parties.
DrScump
I can't imagine going to a party where encouraging somebody to do something that could deprive him/her of future legal entry opportunities is preferred banter.

In my social circles, people tend to like truth and transparency. Maybe we're doing it rong.

dorianm
If it's setup as a freelancer with a business visa (B1), you should be fine.
irunbackwards
Super cool! You should blog about your experience(s), at least the non-NDA ones!
parque
Yeah. I'll be writting a blog post about this whole process, including this post on HN. How it all started, what we achieved, etc. Thanks!
parque
Anyone in Miami? Happy to go there too! :D