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by endlessvoid94 5592 days ago
Sorry, but fuck that. It's totally possible to do this without a job. Live from savings, or do consulting, or something. There's no need to get a full time job.

I couch surfed and therefore didn't need to pay rent for about a month. Met a ton of people through HN, some school contacts, and misc. friends. The network isn't enormous but it's definitely big enough to not require a full time job to get started.
2 comments
DilipJ 5591 days ago
Where does a fresh college grad get savings from? Who is going to hire him to consult?

The reality is, most college grads are coming out with 5 or 6 figure student loan debt. Repayment starts within 6 months. You NEED to find a job to start repaying that. If you decide to go the full entrepreneurial route and end up missing even one payment, then you can go into immediate default and fines will be added, and your credit score will be impacted. If and when your entrepreneurial venture fizzles (as most do), you will have a tough time finding a job outside the startup community, because your low credit score and possible wage garnishment issues is a red flag to the pinheads in Human Resources.

This is reality, and I think kids in their 20's who go the startup route straight from college should be made aware of the risks.

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jmtame 5591 days ago
those college loans are split up, you pay them off in monthly increments like $100 or $200 a month, which is basically a car payment. you could consult for companies with technical skills on roughly the same amount an engineer would get in salary (probably higher if you can negotiate that you're not taking benefits, equity, etc). that's at least $5k per month if you're smart, determined, and enjoyable to work with. i know friends consulting with funded startups on a contractual basis; it's sometimes easier on the startup because they don't have to offer benefits and there may be tax advantages with contracting vs full-time hires.

my guess is his antisocial personality isn't helping his odds, but even that is a controllable factor. from talking to a lot of founders and asking what they look for in hiring, they almost all say "personality" first; if the guy comes across the wrong way (antisocial) that might hurt his chances, although not saying that explains why he hasn't had luck.

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gazrogers 5591 days ago
Where do savings come from if not from a job?
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