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Ask HN: What where the first projects that left you fullfilled?

5 points| nerusskyhigh | 3 years ago

I just turned 25 and I realized I spend most of my life up to now learning stuff. I'd like to spend my next 25 doing things and producing something new with the skill I have acquired (physics master's degree and cs as a hobby). Can you tell me where the first projects that left you fulfilled?

13 comments

order

mikewarot|3 years ago

Long ago, I wrote a program called Overseer, which helped prompt and record the inspections of Fire Protection equipment. It helped make generating electricity safer in the small, and the process of extending and revising it lead me to quite a number of friendships. I wrote the whole thing in Turbo Pascal, back in the days of MS-DOS. I had databases, reports, and a handheld computer to talk to via a weird HDLC controller card. It was an interesting mix of technologies. In the end, we adapted it to a few other areas of application. It was quite rewarding to be able to help people actually keep the world going.

Once I wrote a Forth for OS/2 in Assembler out of spite... because it was Impossible to do so, you were supposed to only be able to write for OS/2 in C (which I hated). Brian Mathewson came along and wrote a manual for it after I open sourced it. Much fun was had by all.

One day, I was working away, and heard my co-worker talking to the owner of a light bulb company... and he was describing the need to "season" halogen lamps, and was wondering how to keep the filament from sagging while it was heated the very first time. I suggested they levitate the filament, and set up a demo with a thin wire the next day. I learned a lot about the manufacture of bulbs, and helped light the world. (The technology wasn't invented by me, GE had done something similar decades ago, but how was a trade secret)

jameshush|3 years ago

- Releasing my first metal band album in college. - Being a part of a few music videos in Los Angeles. - Performing my first 5 minutes at an open mic night for comedy. - Being invited to perform 8 minutes on a Friday night at the same club. - The process of learning Chinese and being able to speak to my girlfriend's family during Chinese New Year.

All of these were funded by coding.

Work doesn't have to be fulfilling. It's cool if it is (I'd much rather get paid $5000 to perform at the comedy club rather than two free beer tickets ;-)) but don't worry if it's not.

nerusskyhigh|3 years ago

How did you manage to fund your hobby with coding? I'd like to do something similar but I feel like a fish in the ocean.

bckr|3 years ago

Little games, stories, or songs that I showed people and they enjoyed.

Tools at work that help people do their job much more efficiently.

Changing my psychology to be a happier person.

nerusskyhigh|3 years ago

What do you mean with changing psychology? I see that all your "successful" projects involve making someone else happier/helping them. Was it about noticing your impact on them?

gtvwill|3 years ago

Working in film, making concrete not look like concrete (madmax4 set building). Good team, good pay, great working environment and producing a product that some people got some joy out of consuming :)

horsellama|3 years ago

Chess engine from scratch. When I got the move validation right it felt very good!