Geek To Pro: The Inspiration | Hacker News Reader

Geek To Pro: The Inspiration

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12 pointsPaybackTony5 comments

Not quite as tech-y, but the inspiration part of why I'm a web developer with plans to try out for the NFL.

Wow, that's quite the story. I'm glad to see you got through it with your sanity intact.

I also like to hear about the tough times that people have in web development. Too many stories here are along the lines of...

ASK HN: I'm making (insert figure for annual per capita GDP of emerging market household) monthly (if not weekly) - how can I get more free time for my start-up?

First world problems.

Web development isn't terribly hard. It's not easy, but that argument is pointless because the stuff we do in our editor certainly isn't the hardest part. The hard part is dealing with clients and managing the business.

We see so many articles here and in the media pumping people up talking about the lack of developers and how they can basically write their own paychecks. Meanwhile, good developers in the Philippines might make $800 / month. A good developer (but bad business manager) freelancing in the U.S. might not make much more than that (as you

I think web development probably looks much like the rest of the economy. The top 1% are fantastically successful. The top 10% is probably doing pretty well. The last 90% are probably struggling.

About the article. Perhaps you picked the title just to be catchy, but aren't you already a pro? As web developers, are we just geeks? Are our clients picking us up because we are geeks that they have to deal with? Or are we actually pro's who are creating value for them?

I definitely picked the term geek on purpose. The term sometimes comes with a stigma outside our own little tech bubble. The stigma seems to put limitations on the perception of what we can do and what we're capable of. To some degree, that's part of what I'm trying to address. You seem to hit that part on the head.

And it's definitely true. Web Development (even if you're considered good) isn't as flashy (I'll use the term loosely) as it sometimes seems from the outside. There are so many ups and downs. What defines us as developers is how we navigate through the downs so we can make it to the next up.

No matter whether you end up pro, it sounds like you'll appreciate everything that life has to offer and have a good story for your kids.

That said .7 seconds is a hell of a lot of time to shave off your 40 yard dash, especially if you're starting out in relatively decent shape. But I suppose the only way to know is to go for it, good luck!

Absolutely. It has already been a great story to tell them, just trying to keep making it better.

And I agree, .7 seconds would be a feat by itself. Right now my best hope is to work on my flexibility and work hard at those drills. My flexibility is poor right now and definitely contributing to my slower time. When running I couldn't help but feel like I just wasn't able to move my legs as fast as they should. It was compounded by the fact that after 5 or so in a row I wasn't winded at all, which meant that my conditioning wasn't the problem.

But I'll go for it and hopefully this next 40 time is in the 4's.

For reference on how this is tech related, read the first post.

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