Oh, so HN doesn't like me calling a spade a spade. Fine. But let's face it; even if the man is well connected, at least he is able to leverage his connection to get a decent deal for his work. His connections didn't help him build mint; he did that with his team. He went out and got a programmer who was making $1k a month! If he was so well connected, surely, he could have afforded a $200k/mo boutique J2EE crew and built something fancy.
All of us have experience, relationships, skills, and other assets that give us an insight into a particular market segments and puts us at advantage before all others. The wise ones know how to find these assets and exploit them to the fullest.]
I'm really the last guy to believe in any excuses. I am not in any way saying what he did is bad, or that it fell into his lap, but the fact of the matter is that someone like me does not even have close to a shot at doing what he does in the same way he did. I cannot follow his path, because for me it will lead to nothing but frustration.
If I send anybody of importance an email or anything, it does not get replied. If I tried talking to anyone about funding, it will get ignored. I don't have references, I don't have people that will vouch for me, I don't have anyone that will introduce me, I don't have any name-brand colleges. He has them.
Now, if I tried to cold call the same people he gets introduced to, I will meet with failure. For me, the best path is to FIRST establish why these people would want to talk to me at all, either by profiling myself in some noticable way, or by showing them the money. That's the path that works for us normalos.
Insight into market segments are things that are learned the hard way - by work and focus. Most people will not have this, but will rather follow such paths and try to find funding, not understanding that these people are different from them.
I have found, in general on HN, that snide comments, even if you think they contain a grain (or nugget) or truth, with be down-mud. If you have a point, make it clearly and carefully.
My advice - you you choose to accept it - is to be clear, concise, and more complete. Snide doesn't work here, as your experience should already have shown.
Well thought-out - if negative - comments rarely get down-mud. Your original appeared to add no value.
[Edit:
Oh, so HN doesn't like me calling a spade a spade. Fine. But let's face it; even if the man is well connected, at least he is able to leverage his connection to get a decent deal for his work. His connections didn't help him build mint; he did that with his team. He went out and got a programmer who was making $1k a month! If he was so well connected, surely, he could have afforded a $200k/mo boutique J2EE crew and built something fancy.
All of us have experience, relationships, skills, and other assets that give us an insight into a particular market segments and puts us at advantage before all others. The wise ones know how to find these assets and exploit them to the fullest.]