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dejvHNSource author
Lessons learnedExperience excerpt · English

I had a modest success when I was 19, struck a gold as an early employee and got rewarded nicely, …

I had a modest success when I was 19, struck a gold as an early employee and got rewarded nicely, quit the company, droped out of the school and started to create small side projects. Then when 4HWW book appeared I started travel around the world and just enjoyed the life, drink beers and did all the digital nomadic cliche stuff long before the term become well known. Then my 30s showed up. Money long gone, pasive income from my side projects dried up as I was not paying much attention to them. At that stage I was living in 250 square feet appartment with my new girlfriend, had about 50 USD in my pocket, resume consisting of some small random project, zero team experience during past decade and idea that I might become farmer after all. Then one day my GF showed up and told me that in couple of months we are going to have a baby. Well, what can you do, right? Big tech was (and probably still is) out of question, but I was happy to work with startups and just build the resume, going from random line programmer to lead developer within few years. …

Original discussionAsk HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?222 source comments · at import
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confoundcofoundHN

Quit grad school and spent my 20s at a chaotic startup where I learned nothing about how to intentionally build a business. I spent years running around like a headless chicken to satisfy sales-type execs who had no interest in leveling me up. I was a moron for staying on as long as I did. I was eventually let go, and for the past few years have been doing on-and-off menial gig work. Feel like I’ve wasted my life. No marketable skills. Unimpressive résumé. No network. No mentor. No confidence. No motivation. And I’m in my mid-30s. -Is there any hope for someone like me? -Is there any reasonable path to starting over? -Where do I even begin? -Will tech co’s ever consider hiring someone like me?

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mrjHN

This. Most (people you want to work for) don't care about beginnings or rough years but many will be interested in a good trajectory. It's not possible to give somebody direction but if they've got that drive already they can be a great hire no matter what they previously did.

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jimmyddddHN

"Well, what can you do, right?" I think this sentence somehow sums up the vibe that led to your eventual success. Congrats!

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