The Toughest Adversity I've Ever Faced
I think it is funny that the YC crowd points to "naughty" when it benefits them and says things like "Am I supposed to feel sorry for someone that got caught exploiting online games?" when it doesn't.When someone will take apart a game for fun, for better or for worse and often both, it is intrinsic. We praise capncrunch and damn this guy?I'm sorry you lost your parents Scott. Congratulations on your child and marriage. YC is a mixed bag but I feel home here too.There are a lot of ways to hack the world. I'm not sure if you've picked inconsistent/risky ones because of personality type/thrill or because it is where you landed. If its where you landed, move toward the center.Sounds like you've got the basic small business skills to sell many things and you don't require permission or motivation to do so.Consider hacking on your life instead of the games. What do you know that's inefficient where you are and could be interesting?I hear heavy equipment auctions are big and profitable in rural areas and I know from experience it is a space software hasn't touched.Pick a product or set of products (wave energy harvesting equipment?) and niche it via PPC. See what the market is like for them on eBay.Go with the black hat and get picked up by a security consulting firm. I've rarely seen them be degree choosy with people who have the chops.Don't make the mistake of thinking the only interesting things are on the fringes.Lastly, ignore the rest of the noise of this thread. Keep your head up. Stay interested. Stay playful.