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Ask HN: What lessons in life do tech people learn too late?

by james-revisoai on 2/17/24, 2:51 PM with 8 comments

You hear lots of advice, examples, parables and warnings, but often the crucial part is knowing something when it's useful in your life.

Are their any lessons that once you "got" they made so much sense, but you got them either too late, after they would have helped, or too early, so you forgot about them when they'd be important?

Partially inspired by https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39409609

  • by k310 on 2/18/24, 5:00 AM

    One thing I’ve learned is not to put off a good deed or backing up a device or process that has no fallback.

    Now, some things are too big and expensive to back up. Think home HVAC etc. So have a fallback.

    Good deed? You might not have the opportunity again!

    As a combination of the two above, I once (long ago) scheduled to start a weekly tape backup of a university research group’s data drive for Friday when I could have done it on Wednesday. It melted down. Things are immensely cheaper now, and you just buy a backup drive.

    Doing that good deed (or smart deed) might cause some inconvenience or near-term cost. Put off things that are less magnanimous or without a crutch.

    I read a book called “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda” These things block progress. While the two items mentioned above aren’t all you need to do, they are steps in he right direction.

    I posted the blurb from this book in the thread:

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39409614

  • by cranberryturkey on 2/17/24, 2:53 PM

    The only way to make real money without selling your soul is to start your own business.

  • by headalgorithm on 2/17/24, 3:39 PM

    Life is short - Don't waste it

  • by favourable on 2/17/24, 8:01 PM

    'Listen to your heart, not your head' struck a chord with me lately (mid forties).

  • by catchnear4321 on 2/17/24, 3:00 PM

    what matters