The Exchanges

Q No, it's very economically rational. Uh, what about the, uh, conjecture that, that you had, uh, a, a, a team of junior developers underneath you helping you actually accomplish the tasks? Is there any truth to that?

A I wish I had the money and I wish that was true, but that is not true. Um, any of the founders that, uh, you know, uh, I worked with can watch with that. I have multiple locations like pair program with people, you know, I've written every single inch of the court. Uh, you know, anti-metals, one of the companies I worked at, uh, you know, they have pretty high bar for design, as you might know, uh, they did a launch recently. Um, you know, there were two occasions where, you know, just before the launch, like, You know, the, the contractor who was going to do the front end for us essentially had bailed out and, you know, we as a team had to figure out and do everything, which was a team of only three engineers, right?

AI assessment note: “I wish that was true, but that is not true.”

Q No, it's very economically rational. Uh, what about the, uh, conjecture that, that you had, uh, a, a, a team of junior developers underneath you helping you actually accomplish the tasks? Is there any truth to that?

A I wish I had the money and I wish that was true, but that is not true. Um, any of the founders that, uh, you know, uh, I worked with can watch with that. I have multiple locations like pair program with people, you know, I've written every single inch of the court. Uh, you know, anti-metals, one of the companies I worked at, uh, you know, they have pretty high bar for design, as you might know, uh, they did a launch recently. Um, you know, there were two occasions where, you know, just before the launch, like, You know, the, the contractor who was going to do the front end for us essentially had bailed out and, you know, we as a team had to figure out and do everything, which was a team of only three engineers, right?

AI assessment note: “I wish that was true, but that is not true.”

Q applied to. Do you think you could have pulled this off with Microsoft, Google, Amazon and split three times? Or do they have defenses in place that would make this difficult? There's a variety of memes around maybe big tech companies. It's easier work. Maybe startups are harder. I'm just kind of curious about, it seems like you went for a lot of startups. What was the reasoning behind that?

A Yeah. So it feels counterintuitive. Like if I was in need of money, like why would I work for, you know, startups as opposed to big tech because they clearly pay well, they have a nine to five schedule for the most part. Like I would say, you know, people don't really care about like what you are essentially like doing. Um, the thing with me is like, if you're spending, you know, Multiple hours a week, like working on something, you would have to at least decently be passionate about it because otherwise you'll just like burn out. Um, like I said, you know, each of these companies that I've worked for, and again, uh, you know, founders, some of the founders have spent meaningful time with me and vouch, um, you know, would, would say that I actually cared about these companies. So it wasn't like cold email without context. Like I deeply read into what a company was doing, what the business model was, you know, who their customers were, I had great ideas about, like, you know, what to build for them, what not to build for them, you know, what the platform is like. Um, you know, I did deliver, like, beyond engineering for a lot of these companies, and, um, yeah, like, it was more kind of like, hey, if I'm spending, like, 1:40 hours, like, I want to do something that I actually care about. Like, I don't want to, like, you know, do nine to five and kind of, like, send out a div in, …

AI assessment note: “I want to do something that I actually care about. Like, I don't want”

Q uh, max out contract with Cluelay. They would probably pay you, uh, uh, a pretty, Penny to, to join the team over there, And I also, it sounds like you're interested in joining ah, ah, ah,, uh, uh, as a founding engineer ah,, uh, of a new AI startup. So how are you thinking about your opportunities right now? And, and, um, how can you turn this into a win?

A Yeah, look, like, I've, you know, regardless of the situation, like, I've been privileged to, like, work for some of these companies, like, you know, um, Antimetal, you know, the founders, like Sync Labs, you know, Prady, uh, they're one of the most, uh, you know, crack places I've been at in general, partly because they had me, maybe not, I don't know, uh, I guess I'm with that, but, um, I think the main thing is, like, I am really excited about what I'm going to be a part of next, so, Um, you know, working with a company called Darwin. They are essentially, like, building a new, like, AI-driven, like, data platform, like, you know, video platform, essentially, for more kind of, like, you know, uh, UGC-style media, and we're gonna release to the market very shortly. Um, this is the only thing I'm going to focus on. Um, I, I think, you know, they've put a bet on me. I have a lot to prove, um, and there's, there's not a lot for me to say, so, yeah.

AI assessment note: “working with a company called Darwin... this is the only thing I'm going to focus on.”

Q applied to. Do you think you could have pulled this off with Microsoft, Google, Amazon and split three times? Or do they have defenses in place that would make this difficult? There's a variety of memes around maybe big tech companies. It's easier work. Maybe startups are harder. I'm just kind of curious about, it seems like you went for a lot of startups. What was the reasoning behind that?

A Yeah. So it feels counterintuitive. Like if I was in need of money, like why would I work for, you know, startups as opposed to big tech because they clearly pay well, they have a nine to five schedule for the most part. Like I would say, you know, people don't really care about like what you are essentially like doing. Um, the thing with me is like, if you're spending, you know, Multiple hours a week, like working on something, you would have to at least decently be passionate about it because otherwise you'll just like burn out. Um, like I said, you know, each of these companies that I've worked for, and again, uh, you know, founders, some of the founders have spent meaningful time with me and vouch, um, you know, would, would say that I actually cared about these companies. So it wasn't like cold email without context. Like I deeply read into what a company was doing, what the business model was, you know, who their customers were, I had great ideas about, like, you know, what to build for them, what not to build for them, you know, what the platform is like. Um, you know, I did deliver, like, beyond engineering for a lot of these companies, and, um, yeah, like, it was more kind of like, hey, if I'm spending, like, 1:40 hours, like, I want to do something that I actually care about. Like, I don't want to, like, you know, do nine to five and kind of, like, send out a div in, …

AI assessment note: “it was more kind of like, hey, if I'm spending, like, 1:40 hours, like, I want to do something that I actually care about.”

Q Has this broken tech Black X and broken containment into kind of your, your, your, your world beyond just people asking you about this?

A Yeah. I mean, obviously, you know, reaction is natural. Like a ton of people have been asking about this. Uh, what's also funny is like, you know, some of the memes, like, um, I, I am very new to Twitter. I joined Twitter yesterday. So this was a lesson for me in social media in general. Like I am not a social media person. So you just like, I was like, you know, very overwhelmed with it in general. Um, obviously, you know, Feeling shitty about it as well. Like I, like I said, you know, I'm not very proud of what I did. I think there was a way where I could have course corrected in, in a much different manner. Um, so there was a lot of like reflection in general, but I think friends and family have been strong. Uh, you know, like I said, I was lucky to work at some of these places where I had really close relationships with the founders. I, you know, a lot of them reached out, you know, they, uh, to essentially be like helpful here, kind of give advice on what I should be doing next. Um, even like, you know, sometimes like staying through With me, like, you know, uh, just to make sure that I'm, like, all right. Um, you know, like, um.

AI assessment note: “friends and family have been strong... a lot of them reached out”

Q uh, max out contract with Cluelay. They would probably pay you, uh, uh, a pretty, Penny to, to join the team over there, And I also, it sounds like you're interested in joining ah, ah, ah,, uh, uh, as a founding engineer ah,, uh, of a new AI startup. So how are you thinking about your opportunities right now? And, and, um, how can you turn this into a win?

A Yeah, look, like, I've, you know, regardless of the situation, like, I've been privileged to, like, work for some of these companies, like, you know, um, Antimetal, you know, the founders, like Sync Labs, you know, Prady, uh, they're one of the most, uh, you know, crack places I've been at in general, partly because they had me, maybe not, I don't know, uh, I guess I'm with that, but, um, I think the main thing is, like, I am really excited about what I'm going to be a part of next, so, Um, you know, working with a company called Darwin. They are essentially, like, building a new, like, AI-driven, like, data platform, like, you know, video platform, essentially, for more kind of, like, you know, uh, UGC-style media, and we're gonna release to the market very shortly. Um, this is the only thing I'm going to focus on. Um, I, I think, you know, they've put a bet on me. I have a lot to prove, um, and there's, there's not a lot for me to say, so, yeah.

AI assessment note: “working with a company called Darwin... this is the only thing I'm going to focus on”

Q But as, as some of these, you know, new coding, uh, Cogen tools came out, Claude Code, Cursor, Devon, et cetera, were, did you feel like you could add maybe a few more jobs? Were you getting, you know, more efficient or do you still handcrafted code, farm to table, organic, you know, handmade?

A I mean, obviously like, you know, uh, having more like, uh, you know, AI assisted tooling, like definitely helped, but it did not amount to like me working on more jobs. Um, because Like, I would still love to spend, you know, a justifiable hour, like, working on something, and it doesn't have, like, a measure. It's not like, hey, you know, I'm gonna split time, like, four hours for this company, for that company. Like, I was essentially, like, working until I got something done for that day, and, um, I think people around me will probably say this, that I am notoriously known for not sleeping. Um, I am, uh, you know, I'm a serial, like, non-sleeper at this point, is what I would say. Um, but yeah, and as far as the interviews go, right? Like, so one there, there's also been a lot of things that aren't like, Hey, you know, I probably used, uh, you know, some sort of like to like, clearly, which, you know, I would love for the founder to essentially go on record and say, if I'm a paying customer, I'm not. Um, but, uh, or, or some sort of like, you know, how to game the system. The truth is a lot of these companies did not have lead code style problems. And if they did, I would have bombed interviews, you know, because I don't practice lead code as much.

AI assessment note: “definitely helped, but it did not amount to like me working on more jobs.”

Q Has this broken tech Black X and broken containment into kind of your, your, your, your world beyond just people asking you about this?

A Yeah. I mean, obviously, you know, reaction is natural. Like a ton of people have been asking about this. Uh, what's also funny is like, you know, some of the memes, like, um, I, I am very new to Twitter. I joined Twitter yesterday. So this was a lesson for me in social media in general. Like I am not a social media person. So you just like, I was like, you know, very overwhelmed with it in general. Um, obviously, you know, Feeling shitty about it as well. Like I, like I said, you know, I'm not very proud of what I did. I think there was a way where I could have course corrected in, in a much different manner. Um, so there was a lot of like reflection in general, but I think friends and family have been strong. Uh, you know, like I said, I was lucky to work at some of these places where I had really close relationships with the founders. I, you know, a lot of them reached out, you know, they, uh, to essentially be like helpful here, kind of give advice on what I should be doing next. Um, even like, you know, sometimes like staying through With me, like, you know, uh, just to make sure that I'm, like, all right. Um, you know, like, um.

AI assessment note: “I think friends and family have been strong. Uh, you know, like I said”

Q But as, as some of these, you know, new coding, uh, Cogen tools came out, Claude Code, Cursor, Devon, et cetera, were, did you feel like you could add maybe a few more jobs? Were you getting, you know, more efficient or do you still handcrafted code, farm to table, organic, you know, handmade?

A I mean, obviously like, you know, uh, having more like, uh, you know, AI assisted tooling, like definitely helped, but it did not amount to like me working on more jobs. Um, because Like, I would still love to spend, you know, a justifiable hour, like, working on something, and it doesn't have, like, a measure. It's not like, hey, you know, I'm gonna split time, like, four hours for this company, for that company. Like, I was essentially, like, working until I got something done for that day, and, um, I think people around me will probably say this, that I am notoriously known for not sleeping. Um, I am, uh, you know, I'm a serial, like, non-sleeper at this point, is what I would say. Um, but yeah, and as far as the interviews go, right? Like, so one there, there's also been a lot of things that aren't like, Hey, you know, I probably used, uh, you know, some sort of like to like, clearly, which, you know, I would love for the founder to essentially go on record and say, if I'm a paying customer, I'm not. Um, but, uh, or, or some sort of like, you know, how to game the system. The truth is a lot of these companies did not have lead code style problems. And if they did, I would have bombed interviews, you know, because I don't practice lead code as much.

AI assessment note: “definitely helped, but it did not amount to like me working on more jobs.”

Q Yeah. Um, I guess the question is, do you believe that you were in violation of your own employment contracts, or do you believe that there was some sort of legal loophole that allowed you to do this without committing any sort of legal violation?

A I mean, honestly, uh, I think going back to like how it even like started to happen and what the motivations were would probably have, you know, obviously I, I would want to like preface with saying like, I'm not proud of what I've done. Um, you know, that's not something that I endorse either. Um, but you know, financial circumstances, essentially like no one really likes to work 1:40 hours a week. Right. But I had to do with this kind of out of necessity. Like I was in extremely like dire financial circumstances and Somehow, like, you know, I don't, I'm not a very people person, uh, uh, I, I don't share much in terms of, like, what's going on with my life, and kind of in my internal thought process, you know, was kind of, like, getting more stressed with, like, hey, you know, I want to, like, come out of this situation, what should I do? So it's more, not, it was not more so kind of about greed, but essentially, like, necessity, and just, like, thought that if I work, like, multiple places, You know, like I can basically like help myself like alleviate the situation I was in much faster.

AI assessment note: “I think going back to like how it even like started to happen and what the motivations were”

Q Yeah. Um, I guess the question is, do you believe that you were in violation of your own employment contracts, or do you believe that there was some sort of legal loophole that allowed you to do this without committing any sort of legal violation?

A I mean, honestly, uh, I think going back to like how it even like started to happen and what the motivations were would probably have, you know, obviously I, I would want to like preface with saying like, I'm not proud of what I've done. Um, you know, that's not something that I endorse either. Um, but you know, financial circumstances, essentially like no one really likes to work 1:40 hours a week. Right. But I had to do with this kind of out of necessity. Like I was in extremely like dire financial circumstances and Somehow, like, you know, I don't, I'm not a very people person, uh, uh, I, I don't share much in terms of, like, what's going on with my life, and kind of in my internal thought process, you know, was kind of, like, getting more stressed with, like, hey, you know, I want to, like, come out of this situation, what should I do? So it's more, not, it was not more so kind of about greed, but essentially, like, necessity, and just, like, thought that if I work, like, multiple places, You know, like I can basically like help myself like alleviate the situation I was in much faster.

AI assessment note: “going back to like how it even like started to happen and what the motivations were”