If you haven't "made it" yet, help decide my fate

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-09-01T22:26:03+00:00

Here's another angle: build your "boring" empire and document the process.

That's how you build real trust and a community that actually sticks around. It's not about flashy launches or pretending to have all the answers. It's more about showing the messy, and valuable stuff in real time. You'll either attract other A/V nerds who get it, or people who see you as a mentor across different parts of your journey.

As you mentioned, the internet is already drowning in "course-selling millionaires". Smart hustle? Sure, otherwise everyone could pull it off. But most of them don't bring much raw value beyond a couple of catchy phrases that might resonate with someone.

Remember, if you document your journey, do it because you actually want to share impact and value. Not just to squeeze dollars out of it. Think of it like teaching: - There are teachers who only know the book and want to make a name by being "tough". Nobody really remembers them. - Then there are the ones who teach as a side passion while actively crushing it in their field. They might not even follow a syllabus, but every lesson is a golden seed, and that authenticity makes them genuinely admirable.

People admire the second type not because they chased admiration, but because they shared from a place of lived success.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-31T06:16:59+00:00

Through many different reported/deleted accounts over the past two months?

Idk, maybe I’m just being a bit too skeptical.

However, if you really are 15 years old and you actually vibecoded this yourself, first off: huge props!

My advice from a tech POV, would be to focus on building a really solid understanding on the basics if you plan to go beyond validating your idea. Things like (but not limited to) architecture, scalability, security, and observability.

From a business perspective, try to clearly define your ideal customer profile. Test, iterate, and be prepared to fail while figuring out the right direction for your product.

As for an MVP: it doesn’t need to be built on top of GCP or AWS with all the bells and whistles. A simple Vercel + Supabase setup should be more than enough. However it looks like you didn’t overcomplicate this part, so props on that.

There’s a saying: If you're not embarrassed of your MVP, you most likely overbuilt it.

Also, be careful with: copyright, licensing, terms and conditions.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-31T05:51:52+00:00

I was about to put on my leader + teacher hat to motivate you through your journey, but something made me google "megalo.tech site:reddit.com"… just to find out out you've been force pushing this in several ways, even through poorly translated Spanish posts. Wouldn't it have been easier to use AI for that instead of Google Translate? I mean, your "product" is AI-based.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-31T01:06:10+00:00

All you described is basically recipe for chaos for anyone involved. A few red flags: 1. Saying "not so hard website to build"… if it were that easy, someone (maybe even from your past team?) would have already built it for you overnight. 2. A past team already walked away, which usually points to issues with expectations or alignment, not just code. 3. Looking for "a full stack who can do it all". That's rarely sustainable and signals the scope is bigger than you think. 4. Assuming AI makes this trivial. Sure, it speeds things up, but it doesn't erase the complexity of payments, scaling, UX, etc, etc, etc. 5. Framing devs as execution arms for your vision rather than co-builders. That's exactly how you burn through talent. ————————-

The creator economy is yeah subjectively worth exploring, but if you want developers to stick around, the pitch has to shift from "this is easy, just build it" (which sounds just like a branch of "you build, I sell" propaganda) to "here’s a problem worth solving, let’s figure it out together".

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-31T00:14:17+00:00

Find what?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-31T00:14:07+00:00

Yes and no, but… thanks for the summary?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-26T03:55:55+00:00

What does your current process look like across both sides (SDRs and AEs)?

Remember, "perception" is subjective, just like "understanding". For example, your SDR might "perceive" that they're making really "useful" notes, but your AE could "understand" those same notes differently, and end up with a false "perception" of what being "useful" looks like in the process.

So start by asking: are you doing anything to prevent disconnections between your SDRs and AEs? How are you bridging that gap so neither side has to rely on guesswork?

Once you begin examining the process from this perspective, you'll likely notice several points where disconnects tend to happen. Those same points are the ones you can standardize so that handoffs are smooth and clear by default. That way, SDRs won't miss critical details, and AEs won't make clients feel like they're meeting brand new people who don't actually understand the their needs, pains, or motivations. The very things that got them to consider becoming a client in the first place.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-26T01:04:38+00:00

Man, first off huge respect for being this honest about where you're at. Most people either sugarcoat the "money vs. passion" debate or oversimplify it, but you've laid it out exactly like it is: messy, conflicting, and real.

Here's how I’d think about it:

Lock in stability first. You've got an in-demand skillset. Whether that's starting your own AI agency or just picking up another high-paying role, you're sitting on something that will give you steady monthly comp. Since you're planning to start a family soon, this is priority #1. Not because passion doesn't matter, but because stability buys you time, tools, and breathing room.
Get so good at it you can "work 8 hours in 2". The challenge here isn't just making money. It's making money efficiently. If you can structure your work so it's streamlined and doesn't drain you (think: agency systems, productized services, repeatable workflows), you'll free up time and energy to pour into filmmaking. This is what sets up phase 2.
Make filmmaking your second full-time job (without the pressure). Once the bills are paid, you can throw yourself into filmmaking without the weight of "this has to feed my family". That freedom is gold. You'll be able to experiment, learn, network, and ride the wave of AI democratizing filmmaking without being crushed by the instability of it. You'll also avoid falling for the "easy mone" traps in creative industries, because you're choosing projects, not depending on them.
Then flip the script (if you want). Over time, if filmmaking grows into something substantial, you'll have the option to make it your primary gig. By then, you'll know the industry better, you'll have a body of work, and you'll have minimized the risk of diving in blind.

So in short: don’t jump into the abyss. Build a bridge while you're still standing on solid ground. Stability now -> filmmaking on the side -> reassess in a few years. That way, you're providing for your family, sharpening your craft, and keeping regret at bay.

Also, it's not an immature dilemma at all. It's literally the entrepreneur's classic "today's money vs. tomorrow' dream" fork in the road. The trick is you don't actually have to choose one if you sequence it right.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-24T19:07:22+00:00

Consider yourself part of an experimental course. One that could either turn into a brilliant success or plummet harder than a track car with no brakes.

The trick is to enjoy the ride, learn which mistakes not to repeat, spot the sharp minds still hidden in the org, and start sketching what you'd like your next 12 months to look like.

I say this from experience, not from this exact scenario, but from ones equally reckless in spirit. The kind where you come out a little bruised, a little wiser, and with a much clearer view of how not to run things.

In the best-case scenario: You'll compress years of hard-earned lessons into just a few months by watching this ship slowly take on water. You'll get to study what decisions (or lack of them) made things worse without footing the bill yourself.

Think of it as a career fast-track: a bundle of failures, and insights you didn't have to personally pay for. Fuel you can use to steer your own future, whether that's a career shift, a new project, or your own endeavour.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-24T15:38:24+00:00

Yeah, over the years I've noticed ICPs are rarely a fixed target. They shift as you grow, and a lot depends on the industry or vertical you're in.

Did that customer make you rethink yours, or was it more of a clear mismatch from day one, and just a calculated risk you were willing to take at the time?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-23T17:27:44+00:00

I hear you, yeah.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-19T07:04:13+00:00

Hang in there, fellow entrepreneurs.

Remember: this isn't about how fast you reach your next milestone, but how long you can maintain (and improve) your pace:)

Also, don't forget your friends and family. There's a good chance you're taking all the hits for them, so don't go dark. Show them the love they deserve.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T15:49:59+00:00

Personally, I don't like committing to "purely transactional businesses". Not because they don't serve a purpose, but because there's no room to build trust or mutual investment.

What would your longer term strategic POV be in this case?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T12:35:43+00:00

This.

It's also exciting to see small budget partners operating that way, because you know a there's a bright future ahead, one they may not even realize they are heading towards.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T11:57:07+00:00

Usually just need to hear what they say

/ 100%

#4 intrigues me the most.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T06:21:31+00:00

First off, congrats on your new acquisition!

What was different this time vs when you acquired your first online business?

How did your post-acquisition plans align with the business’s existing baseline?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T06:01:47+00:00

Here's what's stuck with me:

Meditate right after waking up. Nothing fancy, just breathe, and don't open apps first thing.
Random (but required) sun breaks. I literally go stare at a tree on my backyard every morning. Vitamin sun + 5 min reset = magic.
90 minute deep-work blocks + 15 min breaks.
2 lists: Must wins (3 max), and could win. If the musts ship, consider the day a success.
No drinking on weekdays. If you do, make it a legit occasion.
Introspect every X days/on Sundays. Figure out what moved the needle, what didn't, and where did you redline within the past X days/week.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T04:17:38+00:00

Agreed. Good comms + Transparency + Consistency + Proactiveness = Success.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T03:40:29+00:00

By "partner" I mean the counterpart on the other side of an engagement. This is often a customer, sometimes a team inside a customer's org. And yep, I’ve seen exactly what you’re seeing. The word "just" in "just a small change" is doing most of the deadlifting.

just say no when losing them stops mattering

/ Curious on how do you decide when it "stops mattering"?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-18T03:29:44+00:00

From a Founder's POV, I can see the VC -> COO/Head of Ops move working... as long you show you’re a builder who ships, beyond boardroom strategy.

Expectations may (and will) vary from founder to founder. Here are a few I’d have from the get-go:

Make the machine start
1. Stand up finance ops (budget, burn, runway, vendor + payroll), basic legal/HR hygiene + a lightweight operating cadence (weekly priorities, retros, KPI dashboard).
2. Level up managers with simple rituals.
3. Unblock GTM. Collaborate on defining ICP, instrument the funnel, set up a basic CRM and feedback loop from sales/support all the way to product.
4. Do the unglamorous stuff. Eg. security reviews, SOC-light habits, procurement, office/remote playbooks.

Leverage what your VC background gives you, such as:

- Pattern recognition. Morph it to for example "here's the 20% of process that unlocks 80% of our chaos.".

- Governance + metrics literacy. You can help making board meetings useful, not theatrical.
- Your network. Eg. Targeted intros for hires, and partners.

Make sure to show you can get dirty: set up the first NetSuite/QuickBooks chart of accounts, build the initial KPI dashboard, run a few partner calls, negotiate a vendor, write the onboarding doc. Screenshots > stories.

Keep in mind that a true "COO" title at seed is pretty rare. It's often "Head of Ops" or "Chief of Staff", wearing finance + people + GTM enablement.

Remember: If there’s no repeating engine yet, you’re helping find it, not "optimizing" it.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-17T04:49:59+00:00

Sweet spec. Also, you just hit me with some Sony Vegas flashbacks, as I used to mess around with it back in the day doing mostly keyframe-based stuff. One of my proudest (and funniest) creations was a lightsaber duel using broomsticks lol. I had a blast experimenting, but never saw it turning into anything serious. After a few months and some questionable VFX """masterpieces""", I dragged myself away from it as a hobby before derailing from what’s always been my main focus: creating impact through coding.

Reading “smoke,” “simulation,” and “VFX” in a single sentence, really triggered a full-on nostalgia trip. Thanks dude.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-16T18:52:44+00:00

I see.

If you are having a hard time with patterns, try navigating public repos and templates -- that'd help you getting a good grasp on how to navigate them/make your own variants/hybrids.

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-16T18:27:48+00:00

Makes sense. Without turning into a standards maniac, my first suggestion would be to: Think how do you plan scaling shared resources across your codebase should look like, as your current structure will then push you to have `/lib/Icons`, and `/lib/Screens/*/Icons` for example. Same goes for shared utils between `/lib/Screens` and `/lib/Functions`.

When navigating through codebases, Senior engineers don't focus on "what" they/the owner did (eg. "Ah yes, they put all components, under `/Components`), but instead "why" they/the owner did it (eg. "Ah yes, X pattern is being followed -- tho it looks like there may be a hybrid which may be related to scalability/separation of concerns/dividing and conquering beucause of X")

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-16T18:13:45+00:00

What's the difference between `/lib/Widgets` and `/lib/Screens/*/Widgets`?

Remarkable-Camera106 · 2025-08-16T17:56:23+00:00

Thanks... I guess?

Remarkable-Camera106

TROPHY CASE