You must be blocked… either for a reason, or part of a block list or I blocked you accidentally when blocking ads which has happened a few times. What’s your username?
Not even tall poppy syndrome, because if you dare to talk about how something went horribly wrong (aka you're a short poppy), people react in the way you describe above.
If you succeed, people have to tear you down (to feel better about themselves). If you fail and dare to be honest about it, people have to tear you down (in order to feel superior). People are terrified of failure because if it could happen to e.g. patio11 or you or me, it could definitely happen to them so they must immediately distance themselves by giving themselves the feeling of superiority, and because just telling themselves they're superior in a quiet room alone isn't good enough, they must perform it in public for an audience to get an extra hit. Clack clack clack go the claws.
We used to do $240k a year in technical workshops, sold nearly $300k of ebooks, and have a million-dollar-a-year business… 3/4 of which is SaaS, not 30x500. And no, we don't have "multiple staff members." Freckle is run primarily by 1.5 people and it grows every year automatically, and grows very well every time we actually try to grow it.
And sure, we could make a lot more consulting too, especially since I have proven product chops. But who wants to deal with clients all day? All that negotiating and educating and meeting and trying to persuade them not to screw up their own projects, all their politicking, the invoicing and paperwork and phone calls and email change requests… no thank you.
I spent about 5 hours a month on Freckle, which is why it's not a multi-million-dollar business. But $700k/yr with 1 full-time employee works beautifully for me.
Try to beat that for an hourly rate with your consulting business.
Yes, lots of us are. The trick is, we've mostly given up on HN. First of all because we got tired of the "lifestyle business" sneer/smear. Second there is almost no content here for us any more.
In May, I organized a 100% bootstrapped product conference: http://baconbiz.com. We had 16 speakers, out of a total of 65 people. (All lightning speakers bought their own tickets.) Many traveled for hours to attend.
Once we get all the conf videos posted, we'll be working on a discussion/community site for product bootstrappers as well, to fill the hole left by the demise of the early HN experience.
In true bootstrap fashion, we ditched the hotel ballroom and held the event in our office. Sponsors just paid for our "after" party (on 1st night, Thursday, instead of Friday, to save costs.) The conf itself was "ramen profitable."
Nope, like HN (free, public) but specifically for content related to bootstrapping and business only. It's for the community, not a business itself. I don't need another business.
I got hellbanned for just talking about it above! So that's exciting. Let's see how long this comment lasts.
Surely I'm not the only one who read the screenshotted exchanges and thought:
He just told the OP he's waiting for "answers" from the doctor. He can't make travel plans. He says it's long, gruesome, UGH.
Guys. In case you have the social instinct of a cockroach, this is what they call A SIGN. Not a subtle one, either. That is when you LEAP to care for your friend.
Here's what you do. You ask: Wait a minute, forget about whatever it is I wanted to talk about -- what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you want to talk? Why don't I come visit you instead of expecting you to travel?
Alas, the author just glossed forward with "Well if you decide you can make it, let me know!"
The sick (now dead) friend expressed well wishes for health to the OP, only to receive what kind of well wishes in return? None. Not even "good luck with your doctor's visit that I don't want to ask about cuz I'm not comfortable expressing feelings."
How self-centered do you have to be to not even wish a friend with obvious health problems "good luck" or "feel better"?
> "Now you’re probably thinking I’m a real shitty friend."
Yes, but not because you didn't know he died. But because you didn't care enough to notice or ask while he was alive.
This was my thought too. The OP's friend seemed to be responding to each communication with leading statements and not once does it elicit a "tell me more" or "Oh goodness Mike, what's wrong? Is there anything I can do?"
It seems wrong to say both that he has the "social instinct of a cockroach" and that he's selfish (implying his oversight was a choice). I'm inclined to believe it's the former, given that he is making a post like this. Social instinct is not easy for many programmers, myself included. Your comment almost amounts to assigning blame via the butterfly effect.
edit: rewording my first sentence per comment below
I'm sorry you went through that. Of course a memorial page wouldn't help comfort you, when you know your friend was murdered, you know who the killer was, and there would never be justice, just the thought of how you failed, and how the killer was taunting you right to the end.
