Newsgroups: sci.math,rec.org.mensa,comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.lang.lisp,ba.jobs.misc,misc.jobs.resumes,misc.jobs.misc
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!miner.usbm.gov!rsg1.er.usgs.gov!jobone!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!zip.eecs.umich.edu!newshost.marcam.com!hookup!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!oster
From: oster@netcom.com (David Phillip Oster)
Subject: Re: No employment available for mathematician/genius/programmer(LISP)
Message-ID: <osterD39L28.DnA@netcom.com>
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
References: <demos-290195143119@chem-31.chem.utah.edu> <3ghtdv$p8e@panix.com> <3gjr9f$epi@lute.gcr.com>
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 09:58:56 GMT
Lines: 41
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.math:93659 comp.sys.mac.programmer:127497 comp.lang.lisp:16580


Now, my background is similar to that of the guy that started this thread,
but my work experience, and my problem are very different.

I am a member of Mensa, a Lisp expert (also Unix, C, Fortran...), a Harvard
grad, a Princeton grad. I've rarely had to look for a job, instead potential
employers usually come to me. I've written a string of shrinked-wrapped titles 
in the software stores since the AppleII and the Atari 800.

But, a few years a go, I got tired of being
employed. I noticed that Silicon Graphics users, often needed scanned images
to texture map their 3-D models, and that it wasn't easy to connect a scanner
to a Silicon Graphics workstation. I made a deal with a scanner vendor to 
get scanners wholesale, burned new ROMs, and shipped them with a scanner
driver I wrote. I used the scanner to scan some images in, did a classy
full page ad for a major Silicon Graphics trade publication, and for a
capital investment of less than $7500 (for the inital scanner, my time to
write the initial software, manual, ad, and file the papers to establish a 
business with the city, county, state and nation.), had a going business 
selling scanners at a reasonable profit margin.

Who cares about finding a job. Just start a company, and you'll be employed.

A year later, my scanner vendor switched to a new model that could not be
made compatible with Silicon Graphics workstations (since fixed in even
newer models) and Silicon Graphics itself realized there was a problem 
connecting scanners to their workstations, and came out with their own, 
competing, scanner connection product.  I figure this is the universe's
way of telling me it is time to move on.

My problem:
How can I get better at analyzing markets, to discover niches that I can
fill at a profit?

Are you putting together a company and need a genius programmer?
(I prefer Macintoshes)
-- 
--------- oster@netcom.com ----------
There is no sight finer than that of the planet Earth in your rearview mirror.


