Ask YC: What's your day job?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=285045

by 42flicks • 18 years ago

24 86 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I'm interested in what day jobs hackers on here have? I'd like to see what the mix of people working IT related jobs with side projects vs non IT related jobs with side projects. IT being the usual admin, developer and designer type positions. And its always interesting in general to see what other people do for a living.

chris123• 18 years ago

no day job here... "all in."

davidw• 18 years ago

Consulting and contracting, with a variety of technologies. My profile has links to my pages, which have this information in more detail. Does yours?

CaptainMorgan• 18 years ago

I'm a networking systems engineer but my heart is in software development. I've developed small programs to assist my day to day tasks, take part in open source projects, have written a blog or two to discuss technology as I see it and my book reading list is endless. In a year or two I see myself transitioning into the software side of the company after acquiring my degree and having some of those side projects to showcase what I can do. I guess I could say that I am currently and primarily a systems hacker by day-job, and software hacker by hobby with the goal of making it a profession.

Asking a question is great on HN, but you should preface it with your answer to your own question... not a hard and fast rule obviously, but for questions like this it would certainly be nice to hear about what you do too. :)

greyman• 18 years ago

Software developer in a large company.

stcredzero• 18 years ago

Software Developer in a once small startup company which has been growing by buying other startups. Now we are a becoming mid-sized enterprise with all the disadvantages of a small company combined with all the disadvantages of a large one.

wheels• 18 years ago

There was a poll recently on this:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=223846

I'm, well, we run a startup. :-)

kaens• 18 years ago

Freelance coding, currently python web stuff.

ra• 18 years ago

I'm a web R&D manager for a bank.

SwellJoe4• 18 years ago

Startup.

Before this one, I had another one for seven years (at some point it stopped being a startup and became a very modestly successful lifestyle business, which wasn't really what I was aiming for, so I shut it down). And when I get bored with this one, I'll start another.

I've frequently done contract work, on the side, to make ends meet. Even some quite long projects with great small companies--including another startup. But I've always known I would own my own business...since I was a kid. And I've always planned and acted accordingly.

raghus• 18 years ago

very... and modestly...? :-)

SwellJoe4• 18 years ago

very... and modestly...?

s/modestly/minimally/, I guess. I had a hard time expressing it concisely. It kept me in food and houses and bought me a 350Z, but I never took vacations, and developed a pathological aversion to the sound of a ringing phone.

RobGR• 18 years ago

Just out of curiosity, why did you shut the "very modestly successful lifestyle business" down instead of selling it ? Obviously such businesses are hard to sell to the usual business purchasers (VCs or those business guys who buy franchises or whatever), but you can often find an relative or in-law or local stay-at-home mom who is willing to run it. You might have to be "on call" to consult and help them through problems. Was the business really so specialized that only you could do it ?

Myself, I currently work as a freelance programmer, and do some sys admin work to make ends meet while I try to get my other ideas under way. However, I am going to have to change something, as it is taking up more and more time and making less and less money. If I could get a job as a programmer where they were willing to let me work 2 or 3 days a week for proportionate pay, I think I would take it at this point.

SwellJoe4• 18 years ago

Was the business really so specialized that only you could do it ?

Yes, unless I sold it to someone who was roughly just like me, which narrowed it down to a half dozen people. It was an Open Source based business, and a big part of its appeal was the fact that a well-known developer on the project was the one supporting the systems and software.

Selling it would have taken more time for a questionable payout. I wanted to move on to other things as soon as possible (and while it's taken a little over three years, one of those other things is now able to pay about the same as the old business when I left it).

walesmd• 18 years ago

Client Support Administrator for the United States Air Force

prakash• 18 years ago

I was a Suit, used to do technical sales :-). Now working on my startup.

vp• 18 years ago

software engineer

froo• 18 years ago

Web Development Consultant but working on my first startup.

niels• 18 years ago

Freelancer, python web stuff, with my own project on the side.

paraschopra• 18 years ago

Market Research Analyst by the day and Hacker by the night and weekends ;)

Does having a completely different kind of job help your hacking enthusiasm? I am still figuring that out.

jhollingworth• 18 years ago

developer @ http://huddle.net

qeek• 18 years ago

Web designer & front-end developer at a startup.

gibsonf1• 18 years ago

Building Architect

jaydub• 18 years ago

undergrad

timae• 18 years ago

I do financial due diligence for M&A. Mostly on the buy-side. (with a webapp side project)

furiouslol2• 18 years ago

that's very cool. an investment banker hacking a webapp

nostrademons• 18 years ago

Delicious. Or Amazon, if you go back further.

ejs• 18 years ago

previously - electrical design engineer

current - full time phd student

edw519• 18 years ago

programmer

(I remember a time when almost everyone here would have called themsevlves that. But now, we have 47 different words for "programmer".)

DanielBMarkham2• 18 years ago

I like "Code Monkey"

marcus• 18 years ago

I always liked "Software simian"

kirse• 18 years ago

I'm actually a Rockstar™ Developer.

ph0rque• 18 years ago

Rocket Surgeon

shabda• 18 years ago

www.uswaretech.com, my full time job

paulgb• 18 years ago

Heh, I read the URL as "you swear tech". Just a heads up ;).

KB2• 18 years ago

Developer for a small financial software startup in Boston.

BTW... We are hiring and are having a real hard time finding good developers. Shoot me your resume if interested.

brentr2• 18 years ago

Are these just coding jobs, or are you also looking for people with mathematical finance backgrounds?

KB2• 18 years ago

Just development positions at the moment.

vineet7kumar• 18 years ago

Software Engineer

DanielBMarkham2• 18 years ago

Management Consultant. Specifically an Agile Coach. I teach organizations and their teams who have gotten lost in paperwork and procedures how to get in touch with that little start-up inside all of us -- without taking down production by being a cowboy.

But it's Sunday and I'm busy coding on my startup. Doesn't that count as a day job?

whather• 18 years ago

before: game developer (pirates of the burning sea) now: meetcast.com

simplegeek• 18 years ago

Software Craftsmen :)

STHayden• 18 years ago

web / user interface designer

tonyvt2005• 18 years ago

Rails developer for a DoD contractor plus side projects

dotBen2• 18 years ago

Why does the words "Rails" and "DoD" freak me out all of a sudden?

kcy• 18 years ago

finishing med school

dotBen2• 18 years ago

Platform and developer network consultant to large companies and other start-ups, but I often end up giving advice on a wide variety of topics - development methodologies tru to blogging PR.

I'm probably a prime example of PG's "go all in" strategy rather than doing my project on "the side" as I'm essentially doing the same work for other people so that they can get ahead of me. :(

kylec• 18 years ago

undergrad/Tim Hortons baker - but I don't plan on doing that forever

triebjlr• 18 years ago

Software Development (mostly web + ivr and telephony stuff)

dustineichler• 18 years ago

Software Engineer at a large company.

pavelludiq2• 18 years ago

highschool nerd

lucasvo• 18 years ago

I have just graduated high school last week! Transforming from student to full time hacker!

pavelludiq2• 18 years ago

I still have 1 year of tormenting boredom

jharrison• 18 years ago

Web/Software development business owner for the last 6 years. Previously all Microsoft dev. Currently a company of one (me) doing RoR.

Trying to get past analyzing my startup ideas to just doing them.

andr• 18 years ago

I press a little button every once in a while. If I don't the Earth's spin will slow down and everyone will die.

qwph• 18 years ago

I'm an audio programmer in the games industry. It's never been as glamourous as it sounds...

klocksib• 18 years ago

I test videogames.

auston• 18 years ago

I'm a front-end/back-end web developer/pr/web marketer at a startup.

humanlever• 18 years ago

Undergrad. and part-time Project Coordinator at a Fortune 5. I work on blogs, wikis, forums, etc.

watmough• 18 years ago

Working out my exit-transition as a programmer/manager at a 300 person consulting shop. I have pretty heavy experience of Oracle and SQL Server based back-ends, batch processing etc., which long-term will make money, but it's not the way the world is going.

Planning to work iPhone software and web-apps. Including perhaps a boutique jobs boards, with the slogan "I personally apply for every job posted!", much like the people who start dating sites to "attract a mate".

s3graham• 18 years ago

programmer (EA)

dmpayton• 18 years ago

Software Engineer at an early-stage startup in the Bay area. I was hired to do Python, but they want me to eventually learn C (which I am really looking forward to).

adbachman• 18 years ago

Software developer for large (5 - 7 billion USD) non-tech manufacturing company. Currently investigating the local startup / small company scene for an upgrade, though.

cellis• 18 years ago

Startupper and drawer of unemployment. Corporate parents shut the startup they bought down, consolidating their location, resulting in a lil' severance + 6-month paid vacation windfall for me.

maximumwage• 18 years ago

software test technician

fallentimes• 18 years ago

non-technical at ticketstumbler

Russelldb• 18 years ago

Contract java monkey. Currently doing VoD. Would rather be working on erlang/python/openlaszlo web fun for my kids. Educational software is uniformly poor in this country.

msg• 18 years ago

software developer for defense contractor

I'm not an entrepreneur at this stage of the game, I'm just here for the news.

brentr2• 18 years ago

I previously worked as a trader for KeyBanc Capital Markets and a broker for Banc of America Investment Services. I have now reentered academia.

cosmo7• 18 years ago

I have a full time gig as web developer, plus a blog that gets around 30-40k uniques per day. I'm also working on a charity-focused bodycare line and I have a screenplay under development. My current web project launches in September.

imawesty• 18 years ago

Developer @ www.2threads.com

graemeklass• 18 years ago

IT/Programmer Contractor - 2-3 days. My startup - the rest of my waking hours.

gills• 18 years ago

Dev at a large company for the next week, then I'm off to see the wizard. It's going to be a hard transition, trading very cool projects for independence.

johnm• 18 years ago

Meat popsicle

icey• 18 years ago

I just stopped working on my latest startup in the past two years (unfortunately for me, Microsoft announced they were going to do something very similar and it was enough to scare off my few investors).

I ended up signing on full time with my favorite consulting client as a practicing software architect for them. I get to solve problems with big data and drive the direction for all of their IT ops. It's fun, and I figure it'll do until the next big idea hits me.

posborne• 18 years ago

Undergraduate student and associate software engineer at an embedded systems startup (that just got bought recently). I also do some side work with some peers at my school.

justin• 18 years ago

justin.tv

benfremer• 18 years ago

Manager / Owner of a small but growing design, development & marketing company..

timcederman• 18 years ago

No other product managers?

davidkellis• 18 years ago

CS Grad. Student/Part time PL/SQL guy - With side-project.

Ask YC: What's your day job?

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