What I would do if I was 18 now (2016)(levels.io)
levels.io
What I would do if I was 18 now (2016)
https://levels.io/eighteen/
30 comments
This guy is entirely supported at the moment by a rabid fan base and a vibe coded flight sim with expensive DLC. https://fly.pieter.com/
Yeah, everyone knows who Levels is.
It's a silly example to use. There's basically no one else like him, and the product only got this much traction because he's already an influencer. He's such an outlier.
It's a silly example to use. There's basically no one else like him, and the product only got this much traction because he's already an influencer. He's such an outlier.
I guess I was today's 1/ 10,000
I had seen him on Twitter but took a second to connect this blog to that account.
I had seen him on Twitter but took a second to connect this blog to that account.
lol, that came off a bit more condescending than I intended. when I posted that I didn't actually realize he was the author either. I thought you were just using him as an example. I still stand by what I said that that guy's career path isn't exactly replicable.
Careers are not looking good long-term. Add in the exorbitant cost of uni in the US and dwindling entry level opportunities-- it's hard to see how going through the gauntlet of building a business (including learning valuable, tangible skills and building ones network out) could be much worse than... spending $40k-1m+ to roll the dice in hypercompetitive, saturated job markets.
If you're of modest or lower means, what other choice do you have? Continue taking the advice of a bygone era and hope it works out? Foolish, really.
If you're of modest or lower means, what other choice do you have? Continue taking the advice of a bygone era and hope it works out? Foolish, really.
University may not be the right choice for everyone but blanket advice against a degree is not well thought out.
There are medical, legal, financial, engineering, and educational jobs out there which require a degree.
Yes the job market is competitive, but all the evidence I've seen suggests building a business is even harder.
There are medical, legal, financial, engineering, and educational jobs out there which require a degree.
Yes the job market is competitive, but all the evidence I've seen suggests building a business is even harder.
A person of modest or lower means should probably go into the trades. Electricians aren’t getting replaced by ChatGPT anytime soon.
The market is as competitive, the pay much worse, and the conditions -- barring the good grace of ability to getting into a union -- much worse!
I don't think any of those things are true in any meaningful sense. The market isn't as competitive, the pay is perhaps worse compared to FANG-tier programming but good or better than most other professions, and the conditions are hardly that bad. They also aren't going to get replaced by AI tools, which is the more salient point.
There’s a huge and worsening shortage of people in trades in major cities as people who would have gone into them a generation and a half ago have increasingly been choosing college and white collar work instead. As a result, they can charge as much as they like, and rates and salaries are pretty good for anything that requires real skill.
“Handyman” has mostly been replaced by Taskrabbit et al. But just try finding an electrician, a plumber, a roofer, someone who can lay tile or install windows properly, etc. for real home renovations or even just troubleshooting that goes beyond snaking a drain.
“Handyman” has mostly been replaced by Taskrabbit et al. But just try finding an electrician, a plumber, a roofer, someone who can lay tile or install windows properly, etc. for real home renovations or even just troubleshooting that goes beyond snaking a drain.
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Software probably isn't the ticket to life changing riches it once was, but it's still a good enough career with good working conditions regular demand and broad appeal. Importantly I feel that general software dev is just levelling out around the career options for other similarly educated career tracks. Why we expected this track to always be a millionaire maker is beyond me.
Go into surveying? You can fly drones around, be outside, use cool software, do real work, and have a decent middle class lifestyle.
Go into surveying? You can fly drones around, be outside, use cool software, do real work, and have a decent middle class lifestyle.
I wouldn’t go to university...[instead just learn to code and build a business online making $5k a month.](paraphrased.)
This is bad advice if you're truly seeking to be educated, rather than merely be trained for a job. The problem with self-education is that you'll only ever gravitate toward things that you find interesting or useful. Which is probably just fine if all you care about is making a basic living doing something you enjoy.
But, if you're interesting in learning, there is a lot of value in basically being forced to do difficult things that you don't necessarily enjoy doing in the moment. I might even call this skill a requirement for adulthood, which is full of such situations.
Of course, don't go into serious debt for it, but that's a different question. The value of an education shouldn't be primarily financial in the first place.
This is bad advice if you're truly seeking to be educated, rather than merely be trained for a job. The problem with self-education is that you'll only ever gravitate toward things that you find interesting or useful. Which is probably just fine if all you care about is making a basic living doing something you enjoy.
But, if you're interesting in learning, there is a lot of value in basically being forced to do difficult things that you don't necessarily enjoy doing in the moment. I might even call this skill a requirement for adulthood, which is full of such situations.
Of course, don't go into serious debt for it, but that's a different question. The value of an education shouldn't be primarily financial in the first place.
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This was written in 2016. 10 years later a lot of things changed, and a lot of back then seemingly good ideas could had turned bad by now.
But there are some things that are valid. Learning, understanding, try to fit it all together, as broad as you can, that keeps working. Being mindful, not overspend, don't get pulled by social trends, and train critical thinking also goes for most times.
But I would give some space to make some (not critical) mistakes. If you survive to them and they don't add a bad weight in your future they work as learning too.
But there are some things that are valid. Learning, understanding, try to fit it all together, as broad as you can, that keeps working. Being mindful, not overspend, don't get pulled by social trends, and train critical thinking also goes for most times.
But I would give some space to make some (not critical) mistakes. If you survive to them and they don't add a bad weight in your future they work as learning too.
How old was this guy in 2016, because it kinda reads like advice from a 25 year old. Not terrible advice by any means but definitely reflective of a specific influencer type of mindset that may or may not apply to other young people. Not everyone is cut out to build online businesses, and while it’s never been more accessible to young people, it’s never been more competitive and hard to get attention.
Keep in mind, this person lives with their parents.
"Don’t spend more than $1,000/m. $1,000 is A LOT. If you make sure your rent is low, you can still go out, have nice food etc."
That is pretty hysterical. Where does this guy live? Oh, he lives in ASIA. That's it, all you gotta do is move to Asia. And his advice is still "Leran to Code". And of course he was on Lex Fridman's show.
I am so tired of these people. And this kid has a lot of growing up to do still.
That is pretty hysterical. Where does this guy live? Oh, he lives in ASIA. That's it, all you gotta do is move to Asia. And his advice is still "Leran to Code". And of course he was on Lex Fridman's show.
I am so tired of these people. And this kid has a lot of growing up to do still.
> "In terms of income, I’d try to set up some little online business that gets you about $5k/m"
Ah yes, simple easy life advice that every citizen can follow.
The rest of this .. some is pretty good, especially about not just focusing on computers but on people, but even now I think the "don't go to university" is hugely controversial because a lot of employers do look at qualifications.
Ah yes, simple easy life advice that every citizen can follow.
The rest of this .. some is pretty good, especially about not just focusing on computers but on people, but even now I think the "don't go to university" is hugely controversial because a lot of employers do look at qualifications.
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What do you do (Study/ Job) if you were a 16 now (Gen AI Era).
Actually:
> if I was 18 in 2016.
but I suppose equally (or more?) applicable now.
> if I was 18 in 2016.
but I suppose equally (or more?) applicable now.
> capitalist slave system.
Half of the article is based around making money and saving money. This is exactly the capitalist system you are playing.
What about doing a job which brings joy and pays the costs while living a nice life. There is many of those jobs.
Half of the article is based around making money and saving money. This is exactly the capitalist system you are playing.
What about doing a job which brings joy and pays the costs while living a nice life. There is many of those jobs.
... and what if you're in Europe, and the continent is rearming with German tanks, shells and bullets, paid by EU member states ... that can't pay for that? And what if you're in Europe, but outside of the EU?
In many member countries, ever more people will face an ever bleaker future (because repaying the re-armament debt will mean less social security, less medical care, less housing, less ... and less education). On top of that they will find themselves well-armed with plenty of neighbor countries they could conquer, able to vote in a government that can use those weapons if they want to, all in an EU that's falling apart, because the EU will be the organization extracting debt from everyone's living money, and will quickly find itself hated and despised.
You may think "but don't worry, AI + robots + tech" will save us. That may or may not become possible, but even if it does there's a slight issue: do you mean Chinese robots, American AI and tech that needs education subsidies to be developed in the first place? And are you going to buy that tech with fresh debt while you're already underwater just on the repayment of your current debt?
Even that is ignoring a horrible truth that nobody is yet ready to face: Trump will do the damage to trade and the EU that he will do ... and afterwards the democrats will not reverse it.
In a LOT of EU countries, the current batch of kids will find themselves uneducated, forced to pay back more debt than any 1st world country has ever seen, with lots of weapons, and about half of them with a neighbor country that's weaker than themselves.
These kids will find themselves uneducated, unable to leave, and faced with political parties presenting the "choice" between war and poverty. That will be an easy choice, of course.
And then, after a few rounds of kill-the-neighbor, they will find themselves facing superpowers that have AI robot armies and no use for uneducated human employees.
In many member countries, ever more people will face an ever bleaker future (because repaying the re-armament debt will mean less social security, less medical care, less housing, less ... and less education). On top of that they will find themselves well-armed with plenty of neighbor countries they could conquer, able to vote in a government that can use those weapons if they want to, all in an EU that's falling apart, because the EU will be the organization extracting debt from everyone's living money, and will quickly find itself hated and despised.
You may think "but don't worry, AI + robots + tech" will save us. That may or may not become possible, but even if it does there's a slight issue: do you mean Chinese robots, American AI and tech that needs education subsidies to be developed in the first place? And are you going to buy that tech with fresh debt while you're already underwater just on the repayment of your current debt?
Even that is ignoring a horrible truth that nobody is yet ready to face: Trump will do the damage to trade and the EU that he will do ... and afterwards the democrats will not reverse it.
In a LOT of EU countries, the current batch of kids will find themselves uneducated, forced to pay back more debt than any 1st world country has ever seen, with lots of weapons, and about half of them with a neighbor country that's weaker than themselves.
These kids will find themselves uneducated, unable to leave, and faced with political parties presenting the "choice" between war and poverty. That will be an easy choice, of course.
And then, after a few rounds of kill-the-neighbor, they will find themselves facing superpowers that have AI robot armies and no use for uneducated human employees.
Delusional.
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This advice is bright red with white spots on it.
The wisdom includes: Don't go to university. Set up an online business that makes 5k/month without requiring you to work too much. Oh, and visit a strip club for some reason.