6 ms·
If you learnt to build a browser in 2000 you're probably doing well for yourself lol. Not a lot of demand, but also probably not a lot of supply.
by serbuvlad 24d ago
If you learnt to build a browser in 2000 you're probably doing well for yourself lol.
Not a lot of demand, but also probably not a lot of supply.
- zorked 24d agoThere is an entire graveyward of browsers, almost all that didn't die are now forgotten.
- paulcole 24d agoIf any were built by teenagers, I’d imagine those teenagers ended up with pretty good careers in technology?
- paulryanrogers 23d agoFor every wunderkind that has a long career there's also plenty who are overlooked or peak early.
- spolitry 23d agoCitation desperately needed.
- paulcole 23d agoSource: Sour Grapes
- paulryanrogers 23d agoKen Silverman
- paulcole 23d agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Silverman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Silverman Is this the guy you’re talking about?
- endemic 23d agoI think he's doing fine? Sure, he got out of the video game industry, but that's for young people to burn themselves out.
- paulryanrogers 23d agoI don't mean he's destitute. Just that he's no longer exceptional, which is fine.
- paulcole 23d agoBut you were trying to refute my point of: > I’d imagine those teenagers ended up with pretty good careers in technology? The guy you mentioned doesn't seem to have ended up with a bad career in technology?
- paulryanrogers 23d agoThanks for clarifying. I read it as exceptional careers
- fifilura 23d agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
- sampullman 24d agoI think the point isn't that you'll necessarily build a great browser (or LLM), but the experience will benefit you in other ways.
- antupis 23d agoYup like you go far enought you will pick lots of transferable skills like data cleaning in the case of LLM, DOM parsing case of web browser or welding case of rocket.
- serbuvlad 23d agoSure, but I'm sure most of their lead devs are well paid now. In general C++ work and similar, if not in Chrome development.
- enos_feedler 24d agoFor this example, if you built a browser in 2000 it would put you in a great position to launch android in 2008. I think this is pg’s point. You spend all this time learning the interesting bits and when an inflection comes along that makes a new product or service possible you could be the one to likely launch it
- paulryanrogers 23d agoEach new bet will be expensive and depend less on technical merit than luck and having a backup so your family doesn't starve.
- fifilura 23d agoAgree. FWIW I built browsers from 1999 for a long time. (But I was never a wunderkind, just somewhat tenaciously curious). And I guess I am doing fine, but not amazingly rich or so. Browsers were always a project closer to research/charity. I think Marc Andreessen said something similar - that he would never do that again. B2B is where you can make money.
- liberian 23d agoThis was his point. Being prepare to launch a produce when the opportunity comes.
- serbuvlad 23d agoI am talking from the perspective of the individual developer. You don't need your impressive product to succeed to land a good career. If Alice is doing LLM-from-scratch work today, and Bob is doing agent harness work today, Bob's project is far more likely than Alice's to become useful/popular/profitable. But if neither project survives, in 5 years, Alice will be more employable/at a higher market rate than Bob.
- bee_rider 23d agoNeither one has even gone to college yet. I’d expect Alice’s project to be more likely to interest professors, get some undergrad research experience, maybe that can turn into something.