Awesome stuff! The advice at the end is nothing short of poetic. Let me explain why-- I was a kid on ModRetro forums, and it took me a 3-year journey to learn that I was bad at making hardware. I failed to complete my project, but I learned so much. The most important lesson of all: how to fail. If you don't fail gracefully, you're liable to spend years in a futile effort. When you realize that you won't realistically be able to complete the task, it's time to pivot. Get help, approach it differently, sidestep the problem altogether, etc. You still need patience, because giving up too early is akin to not even trying, but once it's clear you're stuck: move on. Get out of the rut. Trying to finish that project was like pushing a boulder that just wouldn't budge. When I started the project, I didn't have the knowledge, tools, or the skills. The next summer, I had the knowledge, but didn't have the tools. The final summer, I had the tools, and the skills, and the knowledge, but I started working full-time and didn't have the free time. I also had other projects calling my name, which were increasingly more interesting than my current one. The whole time, I had high praise from friends and family for my hardware skills, but looking at everyone else online, it was clear that I wasn't getting anywhere fast. Most of my success was due to the information they had shared. Information sharing is awesome! However, you shouldn't overestimate your contributions when you're building on the backs of giants. So in the end, I gave up. I had failed. Before failing, I started working on a video game mod. I kept working on that project for about four years, and eventually finished it. I never would have been able to invest myself in that video game project if I hadn't pulled the plug on my hardware project! Now I'm a game full-time game developer, and I will never be a hardware engineer. Sure, I do a fun hardware project now and again using the skills I learned, but it's just a silly hobby for me at this point. ModRetro is a fond memory. I have no shame in my failure and no interest in switching careers. Sometimes when you keep your head down, you won't see the treasure right in front of you. So as Palmer said, seek advice from people who know a lot about the craft, those who know little about it are usually wrong. The most critical feedback is often the most critical to your success! Additionally, if you can be reasonably critical of your own work without getting flustered, that's an invaluable tool for rapid self-improvement. Just don't isolate yourself too much, there's always someone smarter or more experienced regarding . (Years later, it blew my mind when I found out that Palmer Lucky, founder of Oculus, was the same "PalmerTech" who founded ModRetro. Rock on dude!)
We need people like Palmer to get us out of the cultural rot we are in. There's way too many people of influence in tech that bite their tongue when the should be speaking the truth.
I search “Palmer Luckey” on RU-vid 3 times a week and filter for upload date and watch whatever new video is out. I am this guys biggest fan. I support everything he stands for. Realest nigga of all time
You guys have to ask good questions and also have a good tone. Most of the questions looks very stupid. I mean like you could ask in a different way. The only reason i watched was becuase of Palmer. Your interviewing is so annoying. Take it as a feedback
