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Comment by zeratul | Hacker News Reader

I think no one is like Ed. There maybe be 25% of programmers that have a long standing experience, even with the new tools, but they don't share wisdom like Ed does.

Ed why can't you have your own company? Why can't you be the one who is hiring or at least teach others how to hire. I bet you can smell a talent from 1000 miles away - even if someone did not finish a good school; the world of software engineering would make so much more sense.

[EDIT:] I imagine a job interview; an interviewee says: "I didn't program this but I did program something more difficult"; interviewer makes a frowny face; Ed comes round the corner, puts his hand on the interviewer shoulder and says: "He did not call you stupid; he just said he is ready for the challenge - he has the experience".

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He already answered your question:

1. He doesn't take a job unless it's challenging. They don't post on HN or go to conferences because they are busy with so much work and life (hence no wisdom sharing).

2. If he is a freelancer (which his post makes him sound like), than he does own his own company. It's just not a software startup looking for VC or articles in big magazines.

3. He's not hiring because he wants to program, not do HR. Also, Michael Jordan can't pick players for shit and he's the best BB player in history. Skill in a job doesn't mean you can find talent, and the level that he would jump and say a person has talent is probably the level where said person doesn't need recognition to know their skill.

4. If a team does a good job outlining job requirements and interviewing, they too can smell talent from 1000 miles away. But interviewing every applicant with a 2.0GPA from a bottom tier school takes a lot of time and most often does not reveal a hidden gem. Regardless of what their potential is.

I'm like Ed! Except I do engines, libraries, network and backend code, including embedded stuff. But I don't have a resume; don't apply for jobs; don't need to look for work because it looks for me.

I've owned a company but its lonely, so now I earn less but work as a peer in somebody else's company.

Upvoted because I never heard anyone until now say that owning a company is lonely. Food for thought...

I own my own company too, and the loneliness is a very serious issue. I miss having someone else to bounce ideas off of. And often it feels like I'm the only one that cares whether I'm working during a given 1-day period or not, which is very difficult for me sometimes, particularly when the work isn't very challenging.

Takes iron discipline to keep going, 4 weeks into an 8-week project with nothing to do but turning the crank.

I think it's interesting people would assume so. Good programmers don't always make good managers. Or business owner. The same reason why not every good carpenter runs a business and manages a team of people. Highly skilled experts are probably disciplined enough to freelance or work as a contractor. But the skills necessary to grow an enterprise are often a very different set of experiences outside of what they do for a living.

Or they simply aren't interested. They are happy with what they do.

On the other hand, seasoned programmers do make great interviewers. And a good interview often include them in the process. Their insights are very valuable.

Also as a sidenote, if there is no senior/lead developer during your interview process. Or the people do not appear to have a clue. Run. Unless they are going to hire your as the senior/lead, and they admit they lack the knowledge.

I think no one is like Ed

That seems highly unrealistic.

- What are the odds HN would attract and recognize a one-in-seven-billion individual? HN is not THAT special.

- You believe Ed holds great wisdom, and it is Ed himself telling you he is not the only one.

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