Ask HN: Other businesses?
I'm curious how many of you have (or had) other non-software businesses large or small.
e.g., I'm into LED lighting and right now I'm designing small reading lamps I plan to sell on Etsy.
You can guess the rest.
By the time I found out about it (a supplier calling to Europe why we had not paid for a month) it was much too late to salvage anything.
So, since then I try to stay out of retail as much as I can...
I lost some money, which was sad, but they lost their livelihood and their reputations, which is probably more of a problem in the long term. It took me a while to get over it though, I had a serious trust problem for a while.
The Contracting Business found a glorious end when the Zulus were marching in central Johannesburg some years back and the Construction Industry just faded away. The Computer School ran out of capital when Windows came out and I had to replace 200 computers and I sold it to someone else (I hated mice for quite a few years after that). The Plastics factory was a big thing for me until they banned plastic bags and I cashed in! Oh! and I forgot and I had this great software that was used for designing Halon 1301 Fire Protection systems that all the big data Centers were using until the Ozone Layer appeared and halon was banned! I am now busy with the greatest thing after Primavera!
I guess I am from the Old Hacker School. Isn't that what you guys do? Just let your imagination roam and do things? Over the years two things kept being with me right through all the businesses, I take time to revisit my Maths twice a year and I program. It keeps me sane and now and then makes me some additional income.
You're a busy bee, nice to see you active in so many different fields!