Comment by rblion | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rblion | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

I finally gave up comparing myself to them. Even Jobs. It's just a waste of time and a pointless exercise to feed/starve the ego.

No one in my family has been to college. I am a first-generation American from the Bible Belt, a state that is 49th in education. I was fortunate that I loved nature, books, music, sports, computers, creative service, big ideas. This helped me find a way out of poverty, out of a life of drugs and crime surrounded by cops and judges.

I am a minority but that is not my identity. I am a man but I respect women, hoping for equality for all. Yet, above everything, I believe in a meritocracy. I was in SF last fall, realized that I don't even want to move there anymore. I am visiting NYC this month for work/fun, maybe that's where I'll want to be. Maybe though, I'll aim even higher (live by some mountains like originally planned) because SF felt like it was too one-dimensional for me. NYC looks amazing but I may just see it a place I visit when I need to instead of moving there.

I was rejected from YC once and I felt bad about it. I still love HN but I've learned that SV isn't the gatekeeper anymore, the Internet as a whole is. If I keep chugging away every day and put myself in the best position to get my ideas out into the world, I believe that the best design and marketing will always beat out a team with better engineers that lacks good design/marketing.

I have no trust fund or inheritance, just the sweat of my brow, this brain aided by computers, and the vision inside my heart.

"Fortune favors the bold"

So basically everyone from where you came from is held back by poverty and lack of education, and you believe the world is a meritocracy?

No. I believe that I need to pick my battles and I can't win them all.

Can you point out where they said they “believe the world is a meritocracy”?

I misread his post.

If you are looking for a place to move, check out Reno NV. Cost of living is fairly cheap and only a few hours away from SV & SF. Tech scene is blowing up. Tahoe is 10 minutes away.

Thanks, this is a good place to keep in mind. I loved Oregon and Montana the most out of all the Western states I've explored. I have not been to NV or Tahoe yet, but I want to soon. Heard a lot of great things.

After growing up in the Bible Belt and living in Utah for a year, I realized just how much more I value mountains over skyscrapers.

Oregon/Washington is really nice if you don't mind the rain. :) Wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Oregon was perfect. It had it all but the biggest thing was the people. Very kind, enjoyed life, respected the environment, valued fresh/quality ingredients, not too 'busy' but still productive. It had the best parts of California and Washington without any of the stuff that annoyed me (I won't go into it because this is subjective). Plus, as a single man, I got a ton of matches on Bumble, a lot more than any other state. Made me feel very welcome.

Montana just felt WILD. Missoula had a vibe that is hard to describe. I just felt like I was at the edge of civilization but still had fast internet and a Target close by when I needed it.

>Plus, as a single man, I got a ton of matches on Bumble, a lot more than any other state. Made me feel very welcome.

Really? According to the statistics, the west coast cities have a surplus of single men, whereas the east coast cities have a surplus of single women. Of course, lots of single women in a place doesn't mean that there's a lot who will match you.

I'm in DC, the #2 metro area for surplus single women (NYC is #1), and interestingly, I do get a lot of dates, but the large majority of them are from Asia (as in born there, not just descended from there). The professional white women here all seem to want a guy from the cover of GQ who likes to go to bars and drink a lot, and I don't drink. Or they're conservative and religious. Maybe I need to move to Portland...

I'm headed up to NYC for the first time and I will find out for myself. I met a beautiful blonde woman from Melbourne while exploring SF, we were at Fisherman's Wharf and started laughing at the seals as they pushed each other into the water. She had just got stood up by some 'financial advisor' dude, so she had 2 tickets to the Aquarium. We spent a week together before going our own ways. Magic happens in big cities like SF and NYC. Yet, SF still felt like a pre-dystopia to me. NYC seems like the center of civilization now and for years to come.

The type of women you describe are not my cup of tea, I like women who love the outdoors, bookstores, and are into a mindful, peaceful way of life that challenges materialism and consumerism. They are out there, they tend to like weirdos like me because they don't want the GQ cover guy who loves to drink. I'm not much of a drinker either, even weed is not as appealing to me as it was a few years ago. I like clarity of mind and I value 'the lightness of being' more than anything external.

Portland - one of my favorite cities all around. Felt so clean, people were friendly, I felt welcome because I am a bit strange looking from the outside. Yet, 'creative weird' is cool in Oregon. Of course, 'sketchy weird' is a red flag most places in the world though.

Any tips for NYC? I'm a little intimidated but I'm gonna go anyways.

If you really like west coast cities like Portland where you can be "creative weird", I honestly don't know what you see in NYC. You're not going to fit in there at all; you need to learn to wear a black business suit and other all-black boring clothes, get involved in the financial sector, and spend all your waking hours at work. It's a fun city to visit now and then, but it's not like west coast cities at all.

The museums, history, architecture is what is calling me there. I will be there for about a week and it will probably be enough for me to last a few years at least.

More than anything, I see the next year or two as time to be nomad and explore as much of the planet as possible.

Wow, did more research on Reno and I see what you mean. It's got everything I want/need and is close to many national parks and major cities.

I love the idea of vandwelling too, so this would serve as a good central hub.

Boise, Idaho has a growing technology scene. There are many HP and Micron offshoots. Some big success stories too: Cradlepoint, Bodybuilding.com, T-Sheets (acquired by Intuit), ClearWater analytics, ClickBank, TruckStop.com, the list goes on.

A bit further of a flight to SF and Seattle, Salt lake, but also has a ton of outdoor access.

Thanks, I'll look into it. That region of the country is great because of the quiet life that is possible, the sight of the stars at night, without giving up creature comforts like fast wi-fi (which I need to feed myself!).

SLC is a great city too. I have some good friends there right now. Outdoor access is a higher priority to me than bars and clubs.

>Tech scene is blowing up.

Can you expound further on this? I keep hearing this, but it seems that the big names (Apple, Switch) just have datacenters in the area. I lived in the area from 2014 to 2016, and it seemed like not a whole lot was going on techwise. I know that the Gigafactory is therenow, but it's not really employing a lot of HN type people.

Sure. You are correct that Switch and Apple really only have data centers in the area. They employ very few skilled workers. The Gigafactory does employ a number of skilled engineers. If you are looking for SV & SF pay, you aren't going to find that, but the cost of living is not nearly as high. There are a number of old incumbents that most people don't think about. Microsoft Licensing, Intuit, Hamilton Company, IGT, Sierra Nevada Corporation (Think SpaceX), Arrow Electronics, TriNet, ITS Logistics, Server Technology, Panasonic. Then you have a lot going on with the startup scene. There is the Adams Hub for Innovation in Carson and UNR Innovation Center. Companies like cycle.io, Shortstack, Black Rock Solar, Filament, PeerIn. Marketing companies like Noble Studios, KPS3 and The Abbi Agency.

>Adams Hub for Innovation

I lived in Carson, and never in a million years did I think something like this would take off. A lot of these jobs seem more dev oriented (I'm a designer), but it's good to see more tech jobs coming to the area in general.

Shhhh keep it down man lol. I don’t want the techies to price me out

Reply on news.ycombinator.com