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sliksal02

4 karma · joined September 28, 2011

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sliksal02··on Dear Programmer, I have an idea
If you're the ideas guy--"the suit" or whatever slightly condescending term you're calling us now--I think you're almost always better off learning to program on your own. Once you've learned enough to build a prototype, and are actually on your way or have created an MVP, you've indicated a) that you're serious about this project, b) whether it's viable going forward, and c) that you're not a complete technical neophyte. Most importantly, you've flipped the script to a certain extent -- you can now be selective about who you choose to work with, and you've qualified yourself enough to be an arbiter of quality.

Just my two cents. I can understand why the developers here might hesitate to work with someone who hasn't proven that he's willing to put in the work. But on the other hand, if you're a serious non-technical co-founder, I'm not convinced it's a great idea to just pick the first developer who's willing to work with you. Seems like a recipe for disaster.

sliksal02··on The Internet is Killing Storytelling, but Photos are Bringing it Back
The problem isn't that people are writing less than before, it's that so many are doing it so poorly such that we're overwhelmed with information and easily prone to overlooking the stories that are worth telling and are still being told. The author alludes to this: if the Federalist Papers were published today, it would be very easy to dismiss them as tl;dr and move on to the next update. There's no quality control anymore.
sliksal02··on Ask HN: Non-technical founder -- how do I become a better coder?
Thank you. Can you recommend any books I should be reading on Python? I'm more inclined to just read the Beginner's Guide on the Python Wiki, but just in case I'd be missing out on a key resource, please let me know.
sliksal02··on Ask HN: Non-technical founder -- how do I become a better coder?
Thank you. I will definitely check out PhoneGap, but if it's just a cute substitute for learning Java/Objective-C, I figure I might be better served by learning the latter.

What is the practical difference between Rails and node.js? Is one harder or more transferrable than the other? Is one better for certain kinds of web development than the other?

I'm basically interested, I guess, in compiling the greatest base of practical, current knowledge in the next few months. I figure after that I can pick up more obscure knowledge as I go.

sliksal02··on Discussing your business idea with other people
Thank you. Since posting the above comment, I've read many other people advocating your approach and I think it makes far more sense. Feeling much better about this! Thanks again.