Hey guys, my name is George and I really want to get involved with a cool startup or idea. I am not looking for monetary compensation, just the ability to build something cool with awesome people. I am currently in New York (Upstate) and looking to move to the Valley by October/November. I am business & marketing grad from SUNY New Paltz and I am self taught in graphic design & currently learning UI UX Design. I am not a programmer, however I will learn in order to get the job done. I never back down from a problem and I will do whatever it takes to help us achieve our goals. If anyone is interested please shoot me an email at georgealvaran0305@gmail.com for resumes or any questions. Hope to hear from you.
I find your desire to improve very impressive, but I think you will be better off finding a paid opportunity, as counter intuitive as it sounds.<p>Most of the time, the only technical skill you will develop by doing an unpaid internship is how to simultaneously make coffee and photocopies. This is not what you want.<p>When a company commits financially, the stakes are much higher and not training you properly will actually result in a waste of money. It will be hard with no prior programming experience but we fortunately, are a field where what you can <i>do</i> overweight where you come <i>from</i>.<p>This is only true to a certain extent of course, and you need first and foremost to be able to <i>do</i> things. It will take years and thousand of hours before you become a decent programmer.<p>For companies to invest in you, you need to demonstrate that you are sweating to get better and that you <i>will</i> actually get better.<p>It means reading, writing and studying code, programming methodologies and paradigms. Overwhelm yourself, learn passionately and ruthlessly. It may sound like a platitude but there is actually very little else you can do.<p><i>Start doing that now</i>, yes now. Focus on that, take a job as a waiter and learn, learn, learn on your free time. When you start feeling a little less inept, it will be the right time to send a couple emails, calls and posts on HN.<p>This will also act as a test, you might be a little delusional and drank a little too much koolaid. Working all day and studying at night will let you truly assess whether it is the case or not, whether you are chasing a mirage or a vocation.<p>Technical internships, jobs should be viewed as opportunities to get better, professional and familiar with new problems and technologies. if you want people to invest you, start investing in yourself.
You can't work for free for a startup. Federal law requires you be put on payroll and paid at least minimum wage. No employment contract can supersede that law. Silicon Valley has to be one of the more challenging places to live without a high-paying job: the average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment around San Francisco is over $3000/month. Why don't you want to be compensated for this labor you're looking to provide to a startup?
Hi George, welcome to Hacker News. If you're looking to join a startup, here's a couple suggestions on how to improve your odds when posting on HN:<p>- Make things easier for the companies you're trying to attract. Provide links to your Resume, LinkedIn, and/or Portfolio in your Ask HN post.<p>- A Jack of All Trades is a Master of None. You mention having background in Business, Marketing, Graphic Design, and UI/UX. Pitch 1 competency, preferably your strongest.<p>- Find ways to build experience and reputation in your current situation. I'm not seeing either based on what you've written.
According to other comments you have been employed for the past 5 years. You might want to leverage the contacts and relationships you have built first. These are the people who already know your work ethic and could provide a warm lead to a job/mentor. You'd be surprised how small the world is.