time for a new job?

I've come across many people that program as a means to an end. They don't enjoy it, it is just what they need to do to get the machine do what is fun, which is folding proteins, modeling ocean currents, driving the CNC, or what have you. For me, the actual application is fairly incidental to the programming and design part, which is where the fun is for me.

For myself its an intelligent distraction between server re-starts and waiting for compilations etc. Don't do so much of that stuff at the weekend.

Would you like to share what that startup is? I am genuinely interested as I'm about to start a new venture myself after being inspired by HN.

Tutorspree.

The megablocks stuff we have bought either has nobbly extra molding bits still stuck to the bricks meaning they just don't work OR the bricks are not of a uniform enough size so they don't stick together for any length of time.

I would estimate at 40% as good as logo. Which puts it down in the play with it a bit and then ignore 'while the cat (or hoover) eats it' camp.

I agree with these thoughts. A founder with enough passion and drive for their company doesn't need VC funding - if IT focused. IT stuff can be built and hosted with minimal outlay.

VC money needed for cash intensive manufacturing activities?

I don't know about the YC companies but I agree that HN has been a great inspiration to me also. Got me thinking about companies and that it is possible!

Thanks HN.

What Americans really need right now is the ability to eat burgers faster and cheaper...

http://singularityhub.com/2011/07/19/fat-america-keeps-getti...

Duh.

I would be wary of cutting out too much fiction as some great minds put down their thoughts and ideas through fiction. e.g. Hemmingway, Orwell or Steinbeck - there are probably many others. But yes be selective.

I thought that MS made a stack of cash from Android via patent extortion methods?

You have any evidence for that?

$792 million in patent royalties from just two companies in a single quarter, Samsung and HTC.

http://blogs.computerworld.com/windows/20792/microsofts-haul...

Nokia also made a similar amount in patent licensing from Apple. I believe Nokia is also suing HTC so might start collecting patent licensing from them at some point.

Google something like: Microsoft makes more from Android than windows phone 7

(It has been a repeated news story the last year.)

Interesting that a retail bank whose core business is to process transactions takes the decision to outsource that capability. And then is exposed as unable to monitor/control the outsourced operation.

Some similarities to the now defunct Railtrack whose remit was to maintain the UK railways decided that it was a good idea to outsource all of its engineering capability. It turned out that Railtrack did not have the ability to manage, monitor or access the state of work carried out by contractors. Some details and links in... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railtrack#Founding

A good lesson. Accessing which are the core functions of your company. And the ability to execute them without failure.