Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: th-cam.com/video/oFtjKbXKqbg/w-d-xo.html Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv7803-sa See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *GUEST BIO:* Pieter Levels (aka levelsio on X) is a self-taught developer and entrepreneur who has designed, programmed, launched over 40 startups, many of which are highly successful. *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Pieter's X: x.com/levelsio Pieter's Techno Optimist Shop: levelsio.com/ Indie Maker Handbook: readmake.com/ Nomad List: nomadlist.com Remote OK: remoteok.com Hoodmaps: hoodmaps.com *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Shopify:* Sell stuff online. Go to lexfridman.com/s/shopify-cv7803-sa *Motific:* Generative ai deployment. Go to lexfridman.com/s/motific-cv7803-sa *AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to lexfridman.com/s/ag1-cv7803-sa *MasterClass:* Online classes from world-class experts. Go to lexfridman.com/s/masterclass-cv7803-sa *BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling. Go to lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-cv7803-sa *Eight Sleep:* Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to lexfridman.com/s/eight_sleep-cv7803-sa *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4.html - Clips Channel: th-cam.com/users/lexclips *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Reddit: reddit.com/r/lexfridman - Facebook: facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: patreon.com/lexfridman
Lex, I worked for the military for 20+ years literally to try and alleviate frustration to decrease suicides: writing code, integrating systems, building reports, hacking data access they owned, meeting with other departments to document and improve workflows. Dude, their systems ran their lives and when they sucked they literally could make their lives miserable. Anyways, I was calling out “yes!”… “dude YES!!!” when you said you’d work at American Airlines just to make people’s lives better, to decrease frustration. Shouldn’t that be WHY we automate, not to get rid of jobs or make a ton of money. Nobody lives life for money, they do it for purpose. John Vervaeke’s meaning crisis IS because people lack purpose. So much is automated and made easy! It should be for being there for people! For making lives better, helping alleviate stress and frustration for others. That is meaning!
Summary: "To get rich as a solo programmer: Solve real problems, document your journey, and leverage crowdsourcing. Build fast, keep concepts simple, and don't feel the need to monetize everything. Be mindful of costs and explore multiple income streams. Stay agile, avoid bureaucracy, and build what you want to exist. Success comes from passion and solving real needs!"
@@joshpark2963 Yeah, you got it. I used ChatGPT for the summary! Left the quotation marks in there in case anyone noticed, just like you did. No worries, just sharing the info in a straightforward way that works. 👍
As someone who transitioned from working in a corporate office to solo programming, the toughest lesson I’ve learned is that success isn’t just about coding, it’s about continuously learning and adapting to new challenges. This video really resonated with my journey.
He built a crowdsourced website to let people label neighborhoods as hipster, rich, touristy. The way he implemented it was with simple HTML element canvas to do it a pixel at a time. He added a way for people to add textual descriptions. This story demonstrates how you can come up with an idea and implement it quickly. It also shows his programming ability to do things simply such as averaging out different ratings just by removing values to the right of the decimal place. He also shows he is driven by his own curiosity by not monetizing it but overall making money on other projects. Very impressive.
Hotels and airlines know you’re going to go through the pain because you need it is more of the reason they don’t improve that process. It’s more importantly that the backend works so all other sites that connect to it will work. The majority of people use some site or app to book all that now, so their site doesn’t have a need to be fancy.
I recently heard the idea that for companies where software is not their primarily form of revenue that they primarily view it as an expense. Hotels & airlines don't sell software and they don't make money from their software. They make money from the real world service they're providing. Potentially could explain why they don't prioritize the software experience, its just a necessary expense to them to get more people to buy their services.
Why couldn't you use affiliate marketing on the map site? Airbnb, Vrbo, hotels, flights, rideshare , etc... even local shops, but prioritize the features you have, don't sell out, at least not too hard.
Sounds like he's prob thought about that, since he mentions affiliate marketing with the legit room photo idea for Nomad List, but I still feel like there is a fun way to incorporate affiliate marketing without compromising on the cool grassroots feel of Hoodmaps.
The way to monetize hood maps is to create a travel show where you discuss a different city each week. You'd line up sponsors from the city for the show.
Lex, I worked for the military for 20+ years literally to try and alleviate frustration to decrease suicides. Dude, their systems ran their lives and when they sucked they literally could make their lives miserable. Anyways, I was calling out “yes!”… “dude YES!!!” When you said you’d work at American Airlines just to make people’s lives better, to decrease frustration. Shouldn’t that be WHY we automate, not to get rid of jobs or make a ton of money. Nobody lives life for money, they do it for purpose. John Vervaeke’s meaning crisis IS because people lack purpose. So much is automated and made easy! It should be for being there for people! For making lives better, helping alleviate stress and frustration for others. That is meaning!
@@kingsleyoji649 Know what I mean, man? Military folks have so much red tape that isn't their purpose for being there. On top of that, their real purpose gives them PTSD. It is merciful to ease their pain. It's us civillian's jobs to support our protectors!
As a health care professional i find this very interesting on the one hand, and the other Im just amazed at the superficiality of it all. Is it so important what table a hotel has? Cant you adapt for 1 day? Lex wishing his life were over for a split second if he needs to give his contact details upon ordering some product online? Sure I get it, its nice to optimize details. But at the same time it feels a farcry from the more existential things hospital workers encounter on a daily basis and in that light pretty trivial. I wouldnt feel satified having spent half a career on Amazon's Buy Now button. Just doesnt feel meaningful to me
And yet, billions of people use these services every day and get what they need for their lives. Maybe there is a systemic problem with the healthcare system that we live in that is preventing people from making the experience more affordable, humane, and frustration-free?
10:40 @levelsio : why don't you put the ad as a "text ad" but make it stand out more? the text works really well already so it seems like that would work well too. you could even get a little tricky with css and make it look like a "digital billboard" placement.
I'm much more on board with Pieter's explanation of why booking websites suck. Sorry lex, but why aren't there stronger forces causing those bureaucracies to either adapt or die out? Pieter at least offers a theory about why
@@razorgen4what you said. Have an idea, and leverage code to implement it. "Coding" doesn't make you rich, having an idea that's worth money THAT CAN be coded makes you rich.
That would require a great expansion of resources that would divert attention from the direction of the current service. If I was running Hoodmaps, I would create a team that I have minimal impact on to run and grow it while I keep pursuing other ideas. Don't grow too fast unless you want an explosion of costs and die.
The universe is yours, boundless and full of infinite possibilities. It’s a canvas awaiting the strokes of your dreams, the manifestation of your deepest desires. Every star that shines, every path that unfolds, is a testament to the limitless potential within you. You are not just a part of this universe; you are the force that shapes it, the architect of your own destiny. Believe in your power, embrace the endless opportunities before you, and remember that the universe is yours to command, to explore, and to conquer.
19:40 this is so misguided. Engineers? When you got a hammer, everything is a nail. It’s product/UX designers. Engineers would not design a great hotel comparison app. Airbnb is designed not by engineers.
Does this lex think he’s in men in black? And when you give people the “real” areas of a city to see they just become tourist areas. It’s like instagram, you show people where a photo was taken and it destroys the spot forever because of all the idiots who want the same picture.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: th-cam.com/video/oFtjKbXKqbg/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: lexfridman.com/sponsors/cv7803-sa
See below for guest bio, links, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.
*GUEST BIO:*
Pieter Levels (aka levelsio on X) is a self-taught developer and entrepreneur who has designed, programmed, launched over 40 startups, many of which are highly successful.
*CONTACT LEX:*
*Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: lexfridman.com/survey
*AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: lexfridman.com/ama
*Hiring* - join our team: lexfridman.com/hiring
*Other* - other ways to get in touch: lexfridman.com/contact
*EPISODE LINKS:*
Pieter's X: x.com/levelsio
Pieter's Techno Optimist Shop: levelsio.com/
Indie Maker Handbook: readmake.com/
Nomad List: nomadlist.com
Remote OK: remoteok.com
Hoodmaps: hoodmaps.com
*SPONSORS:*
To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:
*Shopify:* Sell stuff online.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/shopify-cv7803-sa
*Motific:* Generative ai deployment.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/motific-cv7803-sa
*AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/ag1-cv7803-sa
*MasterClass:* Online classes from world-class experts.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/masterclass-cv7803-sa
*BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-cv7803-sa
*Eight Sleep:* Temp-controlled smart mattress.
Go to lexfridman.com/s/eight_sleep-cv7803-sa
*PODCAST LINKS:*
- Podcast Website: lexfridman.com/podcast
- Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr
- Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
- RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
- Podcast Playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4.html
- Clips Channel: th-cam.com/users/lexclips
*SOCIAL LINKS:*
- X: x.com/lexfridman
- Instagram: instagram.com/lexfridman
- TikTok: tiktok.com/@lexfridman
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
- Reddit: reddit.com/r/lexfridman
- Facebook: facebook.com/lexfridman
- Patreon: patreon.com/lexfridman
Lex, I worked for the military for 20+ years literally to try and alleviate frustration to decrease suicides: writing code, integrating systems, building reports, hacking data access they owned, meeting with other departments to document and improve workflows. Dude, their systems ran their lives and when they sucked they literally could make their lives miserable. Anyways, I was calling out “yes!”… “dude YES!!!” when you said you’d work at American Airlines just to make people’s lives better, to decrease frustration. Shouldn’t that be WHY we automate, not to get rid of jobs or make a ton of money. Nobody lives life for money, they do it for purpose. John Vervaeke’s meaning crisis IS because people lack purpose. So much is automated and made easy! It should be for being there for people! For making lives better, helping alleviate stress and frustration for others. That is meaning!
You’re a good guy for saying that, Lex. I wish we could have a conversation. You seem like a fascinating and kind person.
Summary:
"To get rich as a solo programmer: Solve real problems, document your journey, and leverage crowdsourcing. Build fast, keep concepts simple, and don't feel the need to monetize everything. Be mindful of costs and explore multiple income streams. Stay agile, avoid bureaucracy, and build what you want to exist. Success comes from passion and solving real needs!"
Ty chatGPT
@@joshpark2963 Yeah, you got it. I used ChatGPT for the summary! Left the quotation marks in there in case anyone noticed, just like you did. No worries, just sharing the info in a straightforward way that works. 👍
As someone who transitioned from working in a corporate office to solo programming, the toughest lesson I’ve learned is that success isn’t just about coding, it’s about continuously learning and adapting to new challenges. This video really resonated with my journey.
im learning js now and work corporate. thank you for sharing your advice
what is a good place to use crowdsourcing?
The title is very misleading, I have no idea what this guy talked about for 10 minutes.
😂😂
I swear
He built a crowdsourced website to let people label neighborhoods as hipster, rich, touristy. The way he implemented it was with simple HTML element canvas to do it a pixel at a time. He added a way for people to add textual descriptions. This story demonstrates how you can come up with an idea and implement it quickly. It also shows his programming ability to do things simply such as averaging out different ratings just by removing values to the right of the decimal place. He also shows he is driven by his own curiosity by not monetizing it but overall making money on other projects. Very impressive.
@@calvinlow2 So the title is how to become wealthy yet yes, he did not monetize it...
True very disappointing
Super cool dev but I didn’t learn how to get rich
Gotta watch the full podcast for that.
th-cam.com/video/oFtjKbXKqbg/w-d-xo.html
Summary- find problems, make solutions, but more importantly deploy to market. Doesn't have to be perfect.
Easy way:
Be a fed
Make problems
Pay yourself with taxpayer's money to solve the problems you just created
Repeat
I thought this was a bit misleading. I'd sum it up with advice I've heard repeatedly: solve a problem in your own life.
Hotels and airlines know you’re going to go through the pain because you need it is more of the reason they don’t improve that process. It’s more importantly that the backend works so all other sites that connect to it will work. The majority of people use some site or app to book all that now, so their site doesn’t have a need to be fancy.
I recently heard the idea that for companies where software is not their primarily form of revenue that they primarily view it as an expense. Hotels & airlines don't sell software and they don't make money from their software. They make money from the real world service they're providing. Potentially could explain why they don't prioritize the software experience, its just a necessary expense to them to get more people to buy their services.
Why couldn't you use affiliate marketing on the map site? Airbnb, Vrbo, hotels, flights, rideshare , etc... even local shops, but prioritize the features you have, don't sell out, at least not too hard.
Sounds like he's prob thought about that, since he mentions affiliate marketing with the legit room photo idea for Nomad List, but I still feel like there is a fun way to incorporate affiliate marketing without compromising on the cool grassroots feel of Hoodmaps.
They will not do affiliate with you until you are successful already. Chicken and egg problem.
The way to monetize hood maps is to create a travel show where you discuss a different city each week. You'd line up sponsors from the city for the show.
Lex, I worked for the military for 20+ years literally to try and alleviate frustration to decrease suicides. Dude, their systems ran their lives and when they sucked they literally could make their lives miserable. Anyways, I was calling out “yes!”… “dude YES!!!” When you said you’d work at American Airlines just to make people’s lives better, to decrease frustration. Shouldn’t that be WHY we automate, not to get rid of jobs or make a ton of money. Nobody lives life for money, they do it for purpose. John Vervaeke’s meaning crisis IS because people lack purpose. So much is automated and made easy! It should be for being there for people! For making lives better, helping alleviate stress and frustration for others. That is meaning!
Yes!
@@kingsleyoji649 Know what I mean, man? Military folks have so much red tape that isn't their purpose for being there. On top of that, their real purpose gives them PTSD. It is merciful to ease their pain. It's us civillian's jobs to support our protectors!
As a health care professional i find this very interesting on the one hand, and the other Im just amazed at the superficiality of it all. Is it so important what table a hotel has? Cant you adapt for 1 day? Lex wishing his life were over for a split second if he needs to give his contact details upon ordering some product online? Sure I get it, its nice to optimize details. But at the same time it feels a farcry from the more existential things hospital workers encounter on a daily basis and in that light pretty trivial. I wouldnt feel satified having spent half a career on Amazon's Buy Now button. Just doesnt feel meaningful to me
And yet, billions of people use these services every day and get what they need for their lives.
Maybe there is a systemic problem with the healthcare system that we live in that is preventing people from making the experience more affordable, humane, and frustration-free?
Cool keyboard, Lex!
How to get one. What's the search time to find one.
10:40 @levelsio : why don't you put the ad as a "text ad" but make it stand out more? the text works really well already so it seems like that would work well too. you could even get a little tricky with css and make it look like a "digital billboard" placement.
I'm much more on board with Pieter's explanation of why booking websites suck. Sorry lex, but why aren't there stronger forces causing those bureaucracies to either adapt or die out? Pieter at least offers a theory about why
I agree, there's just not much incentive to improve.
This is so innovative ✨✨
The airlines probably rely on agents to sell most of their tickets. Probably that's why they don't want to improve their websites.
Bc hotels and airlines websites are not there source of income, so if the websites works and people can use it that's enough for them.
BRAZIL MENTIONED 15:38
Finished the video. Still waiting to learn how to get rich as a solo programmer.
Bottom line - be creative and a self-starter who can learn on the fly
@@razorgen4what you said. Have an idea, and leverage code to implement it. "Coding" doesn't make you rich, having an idea that's worth money THAT CAN be coded makes you rich.
Great video!
the problem is with hoodmaps, you can just edit famous cities , small cities are not included
That would require a great expansion of resources that would divert attention from the direction of the current service.
If I was running Hoodmaps, I would create a team that I have minimal impact on to run and grow it while I keep pursuing other ideas.
Don't grow too fast unless you want an explosion of costs and die.
The universe is yours, boundless and full of infinite possibilities. It’s a canvas awaiting the strokes of your dreams, the manifestation of your deepest desires. Every star that shines, every path that unfolds, is a testament to the limitless potential within you. You are not just a part of this universe; you are the force that shapes it, the architect of your own destiny. Believe in your power, embrace the endless opportunities before you, and remember that the universe is yours to command, to explore, and to conquer.
clearly written by generative AI 🤢
19:40 this is so misguided. Engineers? When you got a hammer, everything is a nail. It’s product/UX designers. Engineers would not design a great hotel comparison app. Airbnb is designed not by engineers.
It's just a title. If you call someone a UX engineer then he becomes right.
Does this lex think he’s in men in black? And when you give people the “real” areas of a city to see they just become tourist areas. It’s like instagram, you show people where a photo was taken and it destroys the spot forever because of all the idiots who want the same picture.
More like this please, less of right wingers please