OK, so I read Hackers and Painters while in LA. I'd arrived after 3 years of studying computer graphics, 2D, 3D, image compositing, 3D animation. I wanted to be a VFX artist. I was starting to put together a decent portfolio of some stuff I'd done. <p>Then I made some friends who worked in the VFX industry, and I realized how much the life of an FX artist sucked. So, shortly after I got my first offer to work for an FX firm, I decided to leave town. <p>One of my friends, (he teaches FX at Sony Imageworks now) told me: The guys at Imageworks who have the most creative freedom are the programmers. The artists have to reproduce what someone else tells them to reproduce for 16 hours a day, 6-7 days a week. The programers write code whatever way they want to as long as the code gets the job done.<p>So, I picked up a copy of Hackers and Painters, left LA and enrolled in a CS program. That was 3 years ago. I've been plugging away at school ever since. <p>I've since moved to the Bay area, I'm finishing my degree in two more semesters, and I'll finally have a go at my startup. <p>I agonized and complained for months after I read Hackers and Painters because I couldn't hack and I didn't think I'd ever be able to. I was intimidated. But, then I figured if I didn't take the leap and dive in, I'd still be whining about it months or years from now. <p>So, if you're upset that you don't fit in in hacker culture, and that your not a hacker... Maybe you're trying to tell yourself something. Maybe what you really want to do is learn how to hack. It's what I wanted all along. I just didn't know it.
Oh how I wish I could share the joys of hacking with non-hackers, but that would be like describing the color blue to a blind man. You just gotta experience it yourself. There's nothing like putting something together and seeing it work the first time. Even if it isn't perfect, that first output is better than sex. Still makes make holler and jump out of my chair! (The output, not the sex.)<p>I would strongly suggest trying out any of the many "Build an App is x Days or Hours". Grab a book or something on-line. They're everywhere. There was even a pretty good "Build You Own Ruby on Rails Web App" on the forum a few days ago (probably 2nd or 3rd page by now). Follow the instructions and do what they say. Build you app.<p>One of two things will happen: you'll either feel like I do and you'll be hooked. Or not. Either way is OK, but to not give it a shot in 2007 would be a shame.<p>(By the way, you'll probably find out that's how the best of us got started. School is cool, but nothing replaces just doing it.)<p>
If you are learning Python, new to programming, and want to be a web-entrepreneur, I strongly suggest you check into Django once you learn Python reasonably well.<p>Best of luck
I am so tired of hearing this word "hacker". Use, programmer, software engineer, coder whatever.<p>There are appropreate times to use the word "hack", when i am doing something really quick and dirty, just b/c it needs to get out asap, but probably I am not really proud of my solution, as it probably less maintanable on the long run.<p>When you heare phrases like: I did something "hackish", or my bug fix is kinda of a "hack", usually are not something programmers are proud of. Usually that means I did a quick and dirty solution to that problem, and not an elegant one.<p>In an early startup, i guess, being quick is the most important thing, but after a while you have to start caring about the long term of the code you are writting or end up like friendster, where their poor performance killed the company.<p>A good programmer will use a "hack" only as a last resort.
Great article. I cant write code if god could help me, but i understand it to a decent level. But i hope to take on the business end of things in my company because i have more experience there. Knowing how the program works is a great value for a business guy like me, because i can communicate with the hackers on my team, and speak in their dialect. Its also kinda necessary to understand how your product works.