willwagner

I believe the same tree was used for manufacturing golf balls for a time. Before that golf balls were originally made with leather stuffed with feathers but transitioned to be the "gutty ball" for 50 years or so until they transitioned to rubber and more modern materials.

Having worked for a competitor that was later acquired by GoFundMe, the reality we faced was that we could determine pretty quickly whether a fundraiser was going to be successful within 48hrs or so. While we spent a lot of time developing tools to help people setup a good fundraiser which would increase their chances, for the most part, it just came down to their extended social network.

Most people came to our service directly to give to a specific fundraiser (as opposed to coming to our site to find a fundraiser to give) and while we did things like "now that you gave here, check out this" type features, the results were somewhat lackluster. If I were to start a compassionate crowdfunding site today, I'd try to build it in such a way that it could be embedded into niche communities that are both to gather content, support, and fundraising.

The whole experience is that it was fantastic to work with people really dedicated to the mission and feeling like you are making a difference. On the other hand, it's hard also not to change your mind on how healthcare is viewed in the US, that the majority of Americans are one car transmission away from a downward spiral into poverty, and while I appreciate GoFundMe and other compassionate crowdfunding sites, a high tech only, private enterprise solution is not always the best way to solve humanities problems. Coming from a die hard capitalist, that's saying something.

I've heard this many times before and don't doubt thats the way doctors feel but it's a little like not monitoring production because you don't want developers chasing down minor production issues.

I believe around $199 a share is when AAPL would become the first company ever to have a market cap of $1T. It could happen tomorrow. For reference, the first $1B market cap company was US Steel in 1901.

Here are a couple things that have served me well:

* Own what you own 100%. Be proactive, ask questions so you understand context, and raise concerns along with possible solutions when they pop up.

* Help others when you can. If you are going to be in this industry a long time, your network of colleagues and friends will help you long past your current gig. They can help you solve problems and avoid bad technical choices and when you are ready to move on, they can help you find a new job. The kindness you show others pays off in many ways.

* It's easy to get emotional when you are passionate about a job or a project and that passion can quickly turn into anger. Before sending an inflammatory email, sleep on it.

* Learn the tools of your trade well. Know your editor, debugger, devstack, monitoring tools, deployment tools, etc. I'm a bit hyperbolic but the single best thing I did in the last 20yrs was learn vim well.

* Work hard but pace yourself. Put aside time for yourself to stay healthy.

* Enjoy the moment even when it's stressful. You'll eventually look back on your career and see that the highlight reel features some "against all odds" moments and battle scars.

* Keep learning

I think you are selling yourself short by not asking questions particularly as a junior dev. Depending on the role, people are hiring you for not only your current skills but your potential to grow. Write some questions down in advance - no one is going to ding you for having a cheat sheet for asking questions.

Here's some questions I'd ask:

- what sort of training or growth opportunities do you have? - do you offer any aid for continued education or online courses? What about conferences? - do you have a buddy or mentor program to help me get moving quickly? - Are there any books or resources you recommend so I can hit the ground running? - If I got the role, what would make you feel you made a great hire in 6 months or a year?

I totally agree. Things like life jackets for sailors, ropes for climbers, and helmets for motorcyclists have made those sports impotent for the real men/women of this world who scorn safety. If you are not willing to risk it, just stay at home so the rest of us can unflinchingly face danger head on.