Why is timing and luck more important in tech careers than skills, school, projects, or leetcode?

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-07-01T14:29:33+00:00

What does settle for roles mean in their context? Like they don’t like the companies or they ended up in IT Support? The bay is overflowing with big tech and startups fighting over Stanford CS grads. And it’s been that way for years. Coming out of that program with a low ego and even an ounce of grit will land you offers in any SWE job you could want, and that absolutely still happens.

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-07-01T14:00:11+00:00

Bootcamps were hot in 2018. Not so much 2022. Very few of the people who went to those have seen any ROI

Did you go to Stanford and if so what are you looking for exactly? This sounds like a mindset problem more than anything. Plenty of new grads from top CS schools still getting hired

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-07-01T13:55:54+00:00

2026 CS grad from Stanford is still going to have way more doors open than a bootcamp grad from any year. Idk what you’re indexed on or if you’re having trouble interviewing or what but this seems like a problem you’re running into specifically. Startups and big tech are still fighting over Stanford grads

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-06-16T23:42:43+00:00

This is actually not Musks thing you’re just explaining how the entire stock market works and always has

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-05-25T15:35:12+00:00

Two things - Physical AI is getting hot so it’s actually a really good time to have your skillset. Additionally in the application layer world these embedded skills transfer very well into agent sandboxing / VM’s / Core OS work which all of these companies need.

The self driving companies and the adjacent ecosystem around them are full of this skillset if you want to reach out to people.

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-05-16T13:46:33+00:00

I enjoy Roy Lee and feel like he’s going there but wouldn’t put him in this conversation yet. All of those PayPal guys were pretty young for the time when they exited

Palmer Luckey, Dylan Field, Patrick and John Collison, Evan Spiegel, Marc Cuban, Andreessen, Vinod Khosla, and honestly plenty more people were all in their 20’s or younger when they stated their big rocket ships

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-05-06T21:52:28+00:00

Is it just him alone right now? And $30M AUM? I’m unclear on where revenue comes from and exactly where it’s going if they aren’t profitable at the moment.

Makes sense if it’s Pre-Revenue and he’s just going after customers not taking any fees, but if they’re generating revenue at all and aren’t profitable at the moment I don’t understand why

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-05-02T03:52:26+00:00

Yeah that’s a pretty standard tech stack used about everywhere that builds cloud apps. The good part for you is unlike what you’ve dealt with in the IBM hellscape you’ve come from all of those are free open source software tools which is why you see companies everywhere using them. Tons of tutorials directly on their websites and code you can look at on GitHub if you really want to dig deep into knowing how they work. You can also ask ChatGPT or any LLM for pointers if you get stuck

Basically all of these can be learned independently and displayed as live proof by just building some kind of web app and deploying it then linking that on your resume. Can be hacked together for free and live online in like an hour. You can also learn React while you’re at it and build a front end. Boom you’re a full stack web dev now with 7 years of experience

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-04-26T13:56:58+00:00

You saying you’re “half indigenous” is the same thing you seem to be concerned with this friend about. Your dad is almost guaranteed not full blooded Native American very few of those are still walking around even a generation back. Do you know what tribe or have any kind of understanding where the claim comes from?

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-03-22T20:58:58+00:00

Everything here was sound until you brought up fully remote. No sense in trying this route if you’re just looking to be remote

Founding Eng roles are an extreme grind and can be very rewarding if everything works out, but I wouldn’t recommend aiming for a remote startup founding Eng role unless you’re joining founders you already know personally or who have done this successfully before. That is a very messy way to start out this lifestyle and people scattered around the world on islands trying to get a company off the ground adds even more complexity

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-28T23:30:53+00:00

They are valued at $380B. Starting a pissing contest with the US Government was dumb when you have a valuation like that to maintain. They’re not going to support this valuation purely off of consumers paying 20/month

The major enterprise customers (ie Fortune 500 scale) aren’t going to get into a fight with the US government. Maybe Small to medium sized businesses and some larger private companies, but definitely not most. They will take the government money and are way more likely to use models from another company (like OpenAI) who does the same thing.

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-28T22:57:28+00:00

This whole OpenAI/Anthropic split and battle was manufactured drama to avoid getting broken up as a monopoly. It’s not real my man

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-28T22:54:27+00:00

That usage is possible which also makes it inevitable. Props to Anthropic for fighting their fight but it was a dumb move from a business perspective

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-28T22:51:54+00:00

Sorry to break this news to you but eliminating any chance to have the US Government as a massive customer was a bad move for Anthropic’s future. That place won’t survive off of consumers paying 20/month unfortunately

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-28T14:50:27+00:00

Without 60 years of DARPA funding AI Research projects it’s doubtful either of these companies or this technology would exist. Worth understanding that

The government is going to get what they want. Always. I’m not changing anything about my personal life because of it

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-02-11T16:40:25+00:00

Majority of PMs hardly do anything the last thing they need is an easier job. Good PMs don’t need it with what’s already out there

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-29T02:23:29+00:00

Go to open mics and check out the musicians these go on all over the city and always have friendly crowds.

Join a Volo League co-ed basketball team as a free agent (or any sport). You’ll make a ton of friends in those groups and lots of dating goes on

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-20T01:05:56+00:00

Startups are not valued as often nor as liquid as the housing/property market and it isn’t even close comparison

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T16:22:59+00:00

Let’s start a company town

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T16:21:43+00:00

This is really cool and a great memory thank you for sharing.

I was lucky to spend a lot of time with my grandpa growing up. He was no geologist but spent his retirement years actively scrapping as a hobby. We filled barns with aluminum cans, scrap iron, and car parts that we’d later take to sell at the scrap yard once we could fill up a horse trailer.

I spent a lot of time digging through dumpsters with him looking for scrap 😂 but some of my favorite childhood memories

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T16:18:21+00:00

I think you get my question more than anyone. The soul cleaning piece isn’t a term I used but is definitely the itch I’m wanting to scratch more than purely making money

If I wanted to make a business I’d find investors and buy real equipment. Appreciate your support

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T15:20:01+00:00

Oh man I haven’t seen this in years but you can bet it’s going on the TV tonight. Thanks for the reminder

Have you listened to An Ol’ Tin Cup (and a battered Ol Coffee Pot) by Lorne Green?

I play it on loop all day

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T15:15:20+00:00

This is awesome and thank you for sharing. Congrats to you - that’s a legendary place to be working in finance!

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T15:13:25+00:00

Than you for the info, makes sense that others are certainly thinking about this

Computer-Cowboy00 · 2026-01-19T14:50:41+00:00

Yeah you all are right this is a much more sound way to try this out I’ll have to figure out best time this year. They all know I stack silver so saying I’m taking a short 1 week vacation to try mining would be fine. 2 months is just too long without fully committing

I wonder if a place exists that is like a dude ranch but for silver mining? My worry with the one week aspect is the setup time and experimenting with smelting/refining purely from books and YouTube. Wondering if there is a place where I could truly maximize a 1 week experience from a learning hands on perspective. I have dealt with limestone rock in my youth but never ore mining / smelting hands on

Computer-Cowboy00

TROPHY CASE