I had to move back to be closer to my parents in a town which doesn't value intellectual pursuits because I couldn't find a job in the tech sector in the big city after almost a year. This is in spite of having a long list of technical accomplishments and an impeccable public track record under my belt.
My dad kept reminding me how I shouldn't have pursued coding and studied to be a lawyer instead... He alluded to my cousin who never went to university and was able to buy a house by being a truck driver and then working in the mines. Sigh.
He is right though. I feel like a fool; a caricature of the stereotypical book-smart, street-dumb geek, crawling back to the small town on my knees just to have the town folk rub dirt in my face, feeling proud of themselves for never having taken such foolish risks in their lives.
> This is in spite of having a long list of technical accomplishments and an impeccable public track record under my belt.
If skills aren’t the problem, one possibility is that a rigid attitude, lack of humility, or something like that is rubbing interviewers the wrong way. Please forgive my unsolicited advice and good luck with the search.
Or honestly maybe just bad luck. Lots of possibilities for just a one-off internet comment.
But yeah no doubt wise to do some self reflection and analyze what one could do better when trying again. One shouldn't just continue the same strategy without reflection when faluire occurs. But also don't be too hard on yourself, sometimes things just don't work out.
I hope it's bad luck because I struggle to find what else to improve. I can launch high quality projects quickly and reliably and my main concern is product-market fit. I feel like I've tried everything and its opposite. Problem I face now is I've lost a lot of faith in the system and it requires a lot of energy to maintain my work ethic and also maintain the outward appearance that I still believe in success. I often feel like I'm only role-playing entrepreneurship and there is no chance of success.
Sometimes I feel as though I'm being hindered artificially by some hidden forces but I try not to focus on this. It's partly why I share my experiences online and why I talk about this with my co-founder and family members. It helps when others validate my experiences because it can often feel like too many coincidences.
I worry the feeling might get worse with AI now literally manipulating people's psychology and thus, the markets as well. There's a chance my fears may become reality.
It'd be silly to keep working on a startup if there was a super-intelligence preventing me (or any new industry entrant) from succeeding right? This is a new reality I may need to factor in at some point. Would have been insane to think that way 5 years ago. Not so insane anymore.
Sounds like you might be burnt out and could use a break. If you're just roleplaying your belief in success at this point, maybe it shows in your job hunt and is the thing getting in your way.
That said it's tough out there and luck/timing is a huge factor. Be kind to yourself
My dad kept reminding me how I shouldn't have pursued coding and studied to be a lawyer instead... He alluded to my cousin who never went to university and was able to buy a house by being a truck driver and then working in the mines. Sigh.
He is right though. I feel like a fool; a caricature of the stereotypical book-smart, street-dumb geek, crawling back to the small town on my knees just to have the town folk rub dirt in my face, feeling proud of themselves for never having taken such foolish risks in their lives.