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Comment by mattmight | Hacker News Reader

Original author of the guide here. Wonderful to see these little illustrations still making the rounds. I first published them in 2010!

To those in the comments who mentioned you are just starting your own PhD: Good luck to you! And, I hope you, like I once did, find a problem that you can fall in love with for a few years.

To those just finished: Congratulations! Don’t forget to keep pushing!

To those many years out: You have to keep pushing too, but there can be tremendous value in starting all over again by pushing in a different direction. You have no idea what you may find between the tips of two fields.

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Reading the original post led me to this article on your site: https://matt.might.net/articles/my-sons-killer/#full

This is just to say I found it incredibly compelling and moving; I hope mentioning it doesn't make you feel bad.

Nothing to feel bad about. Thank you for sharing that too.

My son’s life changed my own in profound ways, and even though he died four years ago, he is still changing my life in profound ways. I am always grateful for the reminder and to reconnect with the purpose that his life gave to mine.

That post also reminds me that while he was alive, I did the best I could for him under my abilities, and that’s all any parent can do in the end.

If you want to know more about his life, I wrote on it here: https://bertrand.might.net/

Any advice for PhD dropouts? I spent years and years pushing against that boundary in an obscure corner of my field and it never moved. What little funding I had dried up and I left grad school with a half finished dissertation, no PhD, and giant pile of broken dreams.

I'm sure over the years you've known students who have started a PhD and not finished. What (if anything) have you said to them? Do you feel their efforts had any value?

I'm a PhD dropout myself. Serious question: what kind of advice are you looking for exactly? This is not intended as an insult, but it sounds like what you're looking for is not advice but rather consolation, which is natural and understandable given the circumstances.

I'll give you advice. Success in pursuing a PhD isn’t just about the discipline or the degree—it’s about finding the right environment to support you. If earning your PhD is still a dream, focus on identifying a program that aligns with your needs and strengths. Look for a school with the right resources, a program that’s well-structured, and, most importantly, a supportive advisor who believes in your potential. Combined with your dedication and passion, these factors can make all the difference in achieving your goal. Don’t lose heart—sometimes, the right opportunity can change everything.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what I'm talking about. I've never participated in a graduate program.

>>> but there can be tremendous value in starting all over again by pushing in a different direction.

This rings true for me at this time. Done about 10 years now, never went into academia but direct into industry. Things seem a bit stale, maybe its time to pick and research something new. I've been hesitating on the "going back to school" thing. But quantum does show promise, for curiosity and potential rather than immediate impact.

Your blog really helped me during the early years of my PhD. Thank you!!!

So happy it helped! Thank you for the kind words!

Matt thanks for the encouraging words... enjoyed your compiler class and sad that you didn't end up in my PhD committee... done 3 years now but stuck lol.

When I was interviewed for starting my PhD and asked what I knew about a PhD I referenced this example by name.

Thanks for the articles!

I’ve read through them and they are timeless.

Also the finding cures pivot from CS was inspiring how I could start one problem space and pivot. Definitely a top computer scientist story.

Thank you, Matt! Loved your guide when I started my own PhD in ye olden days, and I've shown it to a lot of people since then.

Happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing it with others. :)

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