How an explorer of the South Pole did his employee recruiting | Hacker News Reader

How an explorer of the South Pole did his employee recruiting

mathoda.com

19 pointsmathoda15 comments

More interesting, I think, is the story of how they got themselves out of there after their boat was crushed in the pack ice. Utterly incredible. Navigators still regard their voyage and successful navigation to South Georgia island as practically supernatural. They traveled for 800 miles in the most hazardous south seas with scarcely any light in terrible weather. They were only able to make three readings. But they got right there.

"Most unfavourable conditions for observations. Misty with boat jumping like a flea and no limb for early am sight. Noon lat probably correct within a 10m limit."

-- Navigator's log.

That is great stuff, but I favor Amundsen. For one thing he beat everyone to the Pole. His clearer thinking meant success and less suffering as a bonus.

Compare that to the way companies like Google coddle their people.

Ever notice how founders and early hires push themselves to the brink with no regard for comfort. And then, after they make it, they change their culture and encourage fancy lunches, massages, etc?

Is that why mighty companies start languishing?

"Do you pine for the nice days of minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote their own device drivers? Are you without a nice project and just dying to cut your teeth on a OS you can try to modify for your needs? Are you finding it frustrating when everything works on minix? No more all- nighters to get a nifty program working? Then this post might be just for you :-)

As I mentioned a month(?) ago, I'm working on a free version of a minix-lookalike for AT-386 computers. It has finally reached the stage where it's even usable (though may not be depending on what you want), and I am willing to put out the sources for wider distribution..." - Linus Torvalds

Which ad is your startup putting out?

Wanted. People (realistically, mostly men, but we live in enlightened times so we cloak reality in rhetoric) for programming. Low wages. Long hours, many in darkness, illuminated primarily by monitors. Maintenance of social life and health doubtful. Success extraordinarily unlikely. Riches beyond your wildest dreams in event of success.

Wanted. People who make things people pay for. Hours are not really remarkable. Engineering challenges are not really remarkable. Success is by no means assured but it is pretty likely. In the event of success, you'll do quite well but the honor and accolades will go to the one of the guys answering the other ad.

I kind of like ad #2 myself...

Sounds like a good A/B test.

   Luke: Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be...
   Han Solo: What? 
   Luke: Well, more wealth than you can imagine!
   Han Solo: I don't know, I can *imagine* quite a bit.

Do you really think startups are the road to "riches beyond your wildest dreams"? Most of them get sold for finite amounts of cash, last time I checked. Typically, even key employees just get a few tens of thousands of dollars, and a stack of options that might be underwater before you exercise.

Becoming a millionaire is of course possible, but that barely gets you a down payment on a nice house in the Bay Area. This is very imaginable wealth.

You want to experience unimaginable wealth? Take a few thousand in savings and live in Laos for a while. Your wealth will literally be unimaginable to most of the natives you meet.

Typically, even key employees just get a few tens of thousands of dollars

Yep, once dilution is factored in... Basically unless you are a founder, equity should not be a factor in deciding whether to join a startup. Do it because you believe in the mission, do it because you want the experience, whatever. Not that a 5-figure cheque isn't nice, mind. I paid off all my student debt and did some traveling when a dotcom IPO'd (same dotcom paid me nearly as much as a severance package about a year later). But don't count on retiring even if everything goes perfectly.

Excellent point about Laos. That place is amazing. A subway-sized sandwich for $1 on the street. People who spontaneously smile at you on the street. Beautiful nature all around you. Not only good for the pocketbook, but the psyche as well.

I burnt out working in China, saved money by teaching SAT prep in Beijing and then fully recovered my senses in Lao.

Doubtful it was the London Times, and probably entirely apocryphal: http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm

Shackleton .. truly legendary.

For those who haven't read about his story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-Antarctic_Expedi...

.. amazing stuff.

Very interesting posts about the digital presidency - dig on his site.

Thanks! They got written about in the NY Times :-)

A sure way of seperating the boys from the men.

Or at least suicidal (adventurous?) men from the others.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com