If you're looking for something more photo-driven, I'm working on a thing called Exposure: https://exposure.so/invite/hn (opening this week but we'll invite folks from that link ASAP)
Just released a Q&A book about building community products. (I founded Forrst in 09.) Totally DIY effort, used ruby and the prawn gem to generate the PDF file. All questions were crowd sourced. Here's a discount if you're interested:
https://gumroad.com/l/obcp-book/saturday
Looks interesting. I was actually looking for something like this. Only 30 questions though? Is it more like your experience of building a community site or actionable advise in building one now? Will probably buy it anyway, but would like to know beforehand. Thanks
Thanks. It's kind of a range of related things. There's also another bundle of questions I'm working on as a part two. Probably a free or low cost addon to this.
I think that it applies to everyone. To me, it's about the quality of your work vs. how much you're working. I think that even as someone newer to programming (or English), building a routine of a few "smart" hours of work (that is, being productive and effective) will almost always have a better outcome than working many, many hours but not being effective in how you're working. Get into a routine. Develop a system for yourself. Set realistic goals. I think you'll be surprised at what you're capable of accomplishing.
Finding the right balance is the hardest part, IMO. There's certainly no "right" answer, so long as you're doing work for the right reasons and can keep sight of the things which truly matter.
That's really interesting to hear. I would guess that it also potentially helps click the switch from "work, then life" to "life (e.g. kids), then work". I can't imagine any amount of work being as fulfilling as watching your family grow.
Interesting point. I guess, as an extension of this, I have noticed I'm accomplishing the same amount of net work in fewer hours. I can safely say I love my work, and that's definitely a driver in -wanting- to work more, but because it's exciting and fulfilling. (Obviously still balancing my non-work/family life with this.)
Personally, my only goal in doing all of this is to create great things which are fulfilling for me and others to use, and that hopefully have some lasting/tangible benefit in my/their life. In a sense, I've already achieved that. The idea of great wealth is not a driver (and I think would only distract me.)
I'm not sure I buy your ability to understand your own productivity (people are notoriously bad at that). It's hard to believe that more work doesn't strongly (but certainly imperfectly!) correlate with more output... Up until that work exhausts you to the point and you start doing BAD work. Maybe that # is 35h/week. I suspect it's widely varied based on type of work, type of person, depth of love for the work, diet, exercise, etc.
I look at it from a standpoint of what tangible things I need to accomplish, and what I estimate I'll need in terms of time to do them. In the last 3-6 months especially, I've been constantly -under- my estimates. This correlates with starting to work a shorter week, taking more frequent breaks, etc.
Not scientific by any stretch, rather simply my own observations.
And yes - I'm thinking more in terms of folks working insane amounts of hours, at levels that put them well into the "doing bad work & burnt out" realm.
