Help a brutha out? :)

Depressing that I couldn't even get an upvote. I thought for sure that I could get an answer on HN. I suck.

The answer you're looking for will not come from others.

But sometimes it's easier and faster to build something cool than to try to build a useful business product.

I'm facing that dilemma now. Should I focus on the product I want to build and possibly fail months later with nothing to show for the effort and no budget left to live on (I'm still recovering from the last one)?

Or should I build several smaller demo projects as portfolio pieces I can shop to get client work to fund the part-time development of my eventual product? Especially considering that my walled-off enterprise projects are inaccessible and built with tools other than the open source ones I'd prefer to be working with.

It's almost like starting from scratch.

Unfortunate, but true. I don't understand why people use services like that so willingly, because companies have to make their money somewhere. For some I guess the amount of personal data provided isn't a big deal.

Yes, based on these articles it is and always will be the next tech Mecca. ;)

"The nearly 5-year-old war, once billed as virtually paying for itself through increased Iraqi oil exports, has cost the U.S. Treasury $845 billion directly." [Much more now, I suppose.]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2921527420080302

Political views aside, I agree that they'd benefit from a different name. Choose something more accessible, something like "Facebook" but not a derivative.

Heh, just happened to me, too. Have to remember we're in a technical context here. :)

Jobhop yes, but please be careful--you might just hop yourself right out of the market.

My resume resembles Swiss cheese. I have a whole bunch of short-term jobs, and holes where I've taken off a year or more to pursue my own ideas (I'm "freelancing" during that time).

Fortunately I was able to get another job after the last break, but I didn't seem to be getting as many callbacks as I'm used to. This, coupled with my age, tells me I need to stay put for a while. And I hate that.

I doubt it. We are desperate for anyone who can answer our interview questions correctly. We would not care at all where you have worked, how much time you have taken for yourself, etc. Just know something about programming.

Agreed. My resume looked the same for a time, and I had no trouble landing interviews and getting offers.

That said, I've been with my current employer for three years now, and I have no intention of leaving, thanks to their flexible work schedule.

I'm sure it is possible find to some development job with a patchy resume. But it sounds like you are hiring for a junior position, is that really appropriate for someone with N years experience?

My only concern about this would be selling lifetime subscriptions for an embryonic service. What if it fails? This may be built into the terms, but it could also sour customers on your future offerings (or hurt your personal brand).

Otherwise, this seems like a good strategy for testing the waters with a new product.

My own view on "lifetime" anything is that I'm taking a gamble on whose lifetime is longer, and consider that when choosing that option. Ultimately, the amount I pay comes down to how long I think the company/product will last.

Anecdotal, I know.

Did you see the Metal Detector app? I don't know if it's useful, but it's a cool idea.

It works most of the time, but it's not accurate enough for any sort of application other than, "hey my phone told me this file-cabinet is metal!"