We asked the questions we actually wanted answers to, then got out of the way. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity, and to remove about forty minutes of talking about snacks.
The through line in every answer was the same: make the work first, worry about who it is for later. Most of the projects started as something to share with a handful of friends.
The Unglamorous Part
There were practical answers too, about rent, day jobs, borrowed equipment and the surprising number of hours spent answering email instead of making things.
- Document everything
- Pay it forward
- Make it for your friends first
- Keep the day job as long as it helps
I did not have a plan. I had a folder called final_final_v9.
We left with a list of recommendations long enough to fill the next three issues, which is the best possible outcome of any interview.
Honestly the best thing I have read on this all year.