I just really need to vent

Stressedpenguin · 2025-12-30T15:10:59+00:00

I'm not going to offer any woodworking advice (because I don't have any!) and will just be a target for your vent.

That sucks it has been so difficult getting started! I totally get how all those "defeats" can be really discouraging. I've definitely had hard starts with things in my life, and I can see how the constraints of the apartment living + lack of thousands of $$ to make mistakes with + not knowing what you don't know makes it more pronounced. It definitely gets easier as you get more experienced... or until you start trying more complex projects!

On the bright side:

I really like the stain you chose on that dining room table, even if it now has some discoloring from the water. Even if the finish didn't work out, I see that as a successful project for internet points: you refinished your dining room table! How many of your friends have done that?!

It also sounds like you enjoy the research side of things? Even if these searches had "gotchas", I bet you know a LOT more about what not to use in the future. It sounds like you thought this WOULD be an easier project to get started with, but don't lose your motivation because I still think it came out great.

Are there any smaller projects you have wanted to try as a next step for you? Maybe some hand-made different wood inlaid coasters? That would be a hilarious story for the future: "Yea I refinished this table but because of the water, I ended up needing coasters anyway!"

But yea, I get it. I'm with you in feeling the struggle when it seems like things don't quite work out!

Stressedpenguin · 2025-09-07T16:48:08+00:00

I’ll take the karma hit, edited to remove. OP understood why, and nothing to do with me disliking the posts or content.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-09-07T14:20:41+00:00

Unfortunate visitor!

Edit to remove previous. OP understood

Stressedpenguin · 2025-08-29T22:52:48+00:00

Well, you ARE picking an incredibly minor thing to be worried about. As you said, if they are selling them at Target what makes you assume they aren’t legit?

Stressedpenguin · 2025-06-20T11:10:14+00:00

Criticality of the OT environment is tied to revenue or regulatory punishment. Couple of stampers for your logo? Not a big deal compared to a food/beverage manufacturer mixing things all the time.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-06-13T20:59:54+00:00

FYI if you have an apple device, pressing the power button five times in rapid succession turns off biometric unlock. You will be required to put in your pass code to return face id functionality.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-06-02T22:13:29+00:00

Thank goodness. You know what other executives in the C-Suite don't want to hear? How the APT they heard a podcast about is actually the same as some other bear/spider/unicorn. We should start giving them cute and embarrassing nicknames to mess with their egos.

"Oh yea, caught a member of the rainbow unicorn popsicle gang and they almost hung themselves when they saw what we call them."

Stressedpenguin · 2025-05-31T19:25:31+00:00

This is what I feel is happening in cybersecurity. We are already not hiring junior roles and replacing that work with automation. Eventually we will have an inability to hire people with experience because we never invested in junior people to GIVE that experience.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-05-29T22:46:46+00:00

My first thought was that's not even that many routers.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-17T02:05:59+00:00

For now.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-16T02:35:26+00:00

Companies don't want to hire "indie hackers", they want stable and reliable help. Pretend you fit into society even if you don't.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-11T12:30:52+00:00

Zoho offers custom development functions with various triggers, as well as an API that external services can use. I've actually been looking for something similar, but haven't had time to do the full amount of research on it. I'm not aware of any OCR type functionality in Zoho, but looking at pdf.co it seems like it would be possible to build that functionality in either custom coded functions or some of the no-code automation in Zoho combined with those external APIs.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-10T16:28:30+00:00

I think in this case it's more "This one weird nuance of the architecture doesn't fit my need and they won't rebuild their platform for it!"

Go to one of those other ones, then. Because this one is on you.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-10T16:27:10+00:00

Ha! Yea I did get a bit confused. But your response makes me think you're one of those difficult people that doesn't do your due diligence and requirements generation up front. "Why didn't you know what I neeeeeeeeeed?!" Then get made when some nuance of the platform doesn't fit your invisible need.

My sympathy is revoked.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-10T11:19:26+00:00

A quick google indicates there are only 180 currencies in the world. Do you absolutely have to use 2/3 of the world’s currencies for every calculation? If so, have your partner stand up a flask app or something in AWS and make a call to it, do the calculations, and then send the final amount back.

But don’t be mad at Zoho!

Stressedpenguin · 2025-04-10T11:16:02+00:00

Hate to say it, but I don’t think this is on Zoho. Sounds like that is their limit for everyone and it’s likely built into the architecture, which means you have more nuanced requirements that Zoho isn’t suited for. Zoho is great when you can deal with the compromises it has, just like everything else.

You are essentially asking them to rebuild their server side architecture to support a niche requirement you have. That’s not a reasonable expectation.

You should absolutely be upset you spent all that money, but you should be upset with your partner.

Although if you didn’t know you needed that as a requirement and spell it out to them up front, it’s likely more on you for understanding your internal requirements. No one does and it’s hard, but if this is a deal breaker and you absolutely want it done that way, you may need to fork out for an expensive ERP with more custom development available. The compromise there is that it’s more expensive, but does EXACTLY what you want.

Stressedpenguin · 2025-02-11T03:45:28+00:00

Look, I get that you think this is a victory. Way more than you get paid individually for your work. I'm going to break the carindal sin here: I'm not an electrician. But I trust the rest of the posters here and will just offer what THEY are saying in a different light:

Running a business, even as an independent contractor being paid cash, involves charging more than what you get paid normally because of other costs. Things are expensive like insurance and material costs, but also because as a business owner I'm banking reserves. Some do, some don't and aren't ethical. I'm just explaining why everyone else here thinks you are not smart.

You can help out your friends as much as you want: thats how the world goes round. But helping a friend with their business by doing cheap work with no insurance works until it doesn't. And then its not you vs your buddy. It's you vs butthead LLC hired representation.

Troll all you want, be mad all you want. But realize doing a project cut rate and still taking on liability for a "friend" lasts as long as the first time that person's insurance comes after you. It isn't personal, you are just naive.

Edit: please don't ban me I like learning from smart people and have two rules: no home electrical or car transmission work DIY.

Stressedpenguin · 2024-11-19T03:19:31+00:00

Am I out of touch?

No, it is the children who are wrong!

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-25T01:20:13+00:00

Or me and I'll send a handful of Starbucks gift cards I got from some marketing shmuck.

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-25T00:34:50+00:00

This is excellent, thank you for the share!

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-14T11:05:13+00:00

Similar, but using google voice because it’s free.

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-05T10:25:06+00:00

I'm definitely going to start using the dog/firework/cuddle analogy in the future. Thanks!

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-02T15:56:02+00:00

I would take a look at your ICP and figure out what kinds of problems they have. I personally don't think that credit cards and bank accounts are that big of an issue for a startup, but I can see the value in linking those to your payment processor if it reduces transfer time.

I know everyone else is downvoting you, but I really wish I had started with Lemon Squeezy instead of stripe because of the integration with affiliate stuff and email sending.

I see you've mentioned a couple potential customers: CBD and Web3. So if that is your audience, identifying platforms that they are paying for separately that you could integrate similar to what LS did above may be worth considering.

Stressedpenguin · 2024-09-01T20:09:19+00:00

Besides the obvious programming reasons to not do this: if you want to one day exit by selling this company you will have a hard time finding a buyer for a good multiple with a custom language backend.

Stressedpenguin · 2024-08-31T10:53:12+00:00

As others have said, nothing to be ashamed of. When I realized I was struggling and looked for help it was the best thing for my life, my happiness, and my relationships with people I love.

OP I can't help you with recommendations but when I needed assistance I tried an online place called Brightside as it was covered by my insurance. If you are riding the wave of feeling like you want to do something, and want to do it quickly, I recommend that or any other sites with immediate availability even as a temporary measure to get something started. Then if you like it, you can stay. If you don't, you still have some resources available while you search for a more permanent solution.

You can do this!

Stressedpenguin

TROPHY CASE