Ginger Beer and other fermentation projects :)
Readit NewsI've been working on converting a Mazda RX-8 to electric. At the moment, that mostly amounts to making battery boxes to go in the various empty spaces by tig welding aluminum (which I had no experience with prior to this project).
The general plan is to use about 400 pounds of lithium iron phosphate cells, spread between the spaces under the right and left rear passenger seats where the gas tank used to be and the engine compartment (mostly approximately where the radiator was). I'm using a Netgain Hyper9 AC motor (144 volt version). I haven't decided what I'll do for charging and battery management. I plan to order an adapter from CanEV to interface to the transmission so I'll be able to keep the stickshift.
Would love to follow your progress - are you sharing it somewhere?
A great book on this topic, especially if you're still in university is "How to be a straight A student" by Cal Newport (https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Straight-Student-Unconvent...)
Ignore the title for now and read through it, I believe there are excellent tips in note taking and how to process the notes to really excel in your studies.
If you're already working you have to adapt that system into something that works for you best, some use a bullet journal or audio notes and process them differently.
One really interesting approach (that I wasn't able to implement yet in full form) is to take creative notes (called sketchnotes). This works well if you're a visual person.
A great book on this would be The Sketchnote Handbook by Mike Rohde.
freshfey commented on What eight years of side projects have taught me (2019) junglecoder.com/blog/idea... · Posted by u/yumaikas
Follow-up:
Where do you think my time would be better spent preparing for a new job? Making a sideproject I can show off or doing interview puzzles?
I agree with the people who answered before me. The smaller the startup the more important your side project could be. The bigger the company, the more streamlined the hiring process and the more likely that you would encounter puzzles etc.
I'd say if you're going for FAANG-type companies, definitely prepare for the puzzles and quizzes, but for a more smaller one (let's say sub-100 people) go for the side project approach.
Exceptions do apply obviously: I've had friends who got hired at FAANG because of a side project that grew and got the attention of the engineers at said company.
freshfey commented on What eight years of side projects have taught me (2019) junglecoder.com/blog/idea... · Posted by u/yumaikas
What's your path from developer to C-Level?
I feel like the companies I've been at don't really let developers move up to management positions, unless you come from the outside or somehow gained management skills somewhere.
I started out in product management, junior level. Then product owner (focus mobile) later on head of product and then c-level.
Developers (or PMs) who are interested in the business they work in and participate actively tend to get promoted/pushed. You have to understand the business perspective if you want to move up and get away from the thought of "I'm just here to develop and if I make the product great, everyone will recognize my talent/skill"
freshfey commented on What eight years of side projects have taught me (2019) junglecoder.com/blog/idea... · Posted by u/yumaikas
Hey, I know it's just a small comment on HN so I don't know the whole picture and you very well may already know/do this, but people who tend to have free time to just pump out side projects without worrying about work tend to be already-privileged people.
I get what you mean about not even really needing the project to work, just show that you have an idea and wanna work on it, yadda yadda, but I think you'll eliminate some good candidates and hard workers if you see a lack of side projects as a lack of devotion or work ethic.
No I get it, you're right. It's not that I'm counting them out, it's more of an advantage that people with side projects tend to have, but it's super individual and my opinion is just one of many.
freshfey commented on What eight years of side projects have taught me (2019) junglecoder.com/blog/idea... · Posted by u/yumaikas
For those who feel like a side project needs to be successful or reach a certain amount of revenue/lines of code/users to be successful in your eyes: Don't feel pressured.
In my career (granted not a long one, but made it to C-Level in a startup after about 5-7 years) I've always used them to show my interest and learning skill to do something. It didn't matter whether it had 1 user or 1 million, employers were always very impressed and it always gives you an advantage during interviewing. Most of those have also been with very little or no code at all.
I'm normally prioritising people with side projects in the recruiting process vs. people who only did school -> work
I have so many questions, but let's start with a few ones:
Is this a web application or a smartphone one?
What did you have to learn, tech-wise, to be able to build it?
How long did it take you, from your first line of code until you released the first prototype?
How did you get your first user(s)?
How did you get the business idea (without details)? Was it a personal pain point, or did you work in that field before?
And congrats BTW, it looks like you did an amazing job.
I'd argue that only the last two questions are relevant.
- Both web and smartphone apps can create this kind of revenue. - The tech stack is 99% irrelevant unless the end customer depends on it, which in 99% of the times, isn't the case.
freshfey commented on Uber makes JFK airport helicopter taxis available to all users in.reuters.com/article/ub... · Posted by u/prostoalex
New York Airways used to have a helicopter service from JFK to Manhattan, it was cheap and frequent.
Wikipedia: 'New York Airways flew Vertol 107 helicopters from the rooftop helipad to Pan Am's terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport from December 21, 1965, to February 18, 1968, when the service ceased due to inadequate passenger loads. For a short part of that time, they also offered service to Teterboro Airport.
Service to JFK resumed in early 1977 using Sikorsky S-61s. On May 16, 1977, about one minute after an S-61L landed and its 20 passengers disembarked, the right front landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to topple onto its side with the rotors still turning. One of the five 20-foot (6.1 m) blades broke off and flew into a crowd of passengers waiting to board. Three men were killed instantly and another died later in a hospital. The blade sailed over the side of the building and killed a female pedestrian on the corner of Madison Avenue and 43rd Street. Two other people were seriously injured. Helicopter service was quickly suspended, and never resumed'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetLife_Building#Helicopter_se...
Here is a short documentary about those helicopter rides from Bloomberg with some pictures and videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nbz5VFilxY
Thanks!