I get it now! See for yourself at the Founder's LinkedIn pages [or the Jopwell Team page]. You have two outstanding young men with some great work experience but whom also have extraordinarily white-sounding names yet are not white. My question about just using pictures is now proven to be a potential solution. I'm sure some code that infers the race of a candidate from a digital photo could be used and may be a potential patent.
Edit: Adding that self-identifying race on a candidate's profile may not be optimal when US anti-discrimination hiring laws are in effect. However, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you are shallow enough to hire from a pool that excludes one or more races, then you are also shallow enough to hire a candidate based on their photograph. I understand that some companies are not diverse enough, but there are root causes that Jopwell is not addressing. One cause is America has deep Anglo-Saxon and European roots hence the majority of the population is/was White; the opposite issue may be present in Africa, India, or China where 'whites' are minorities. However, choosing candidates from a racially-segregated pool for the appearance of being diverse seems so shallow. Allowing all candidates, regardless of race, and simply including a photo of a candidate absolves Jopwell on several fronts.
I'm fine with the downvotes, even if I do not understand why. These are valid points.
There is a level that some employees and consultants reach where "Seniority" is no longer relevant, whether the Consultant is brought into the company either as a Contractor or as an Employee. When I'm brought in it is because no one at the company knows how to fix something, install something, and/or scale something. It doesn't matter how long I have or haven't been with the company, I get it done. I have been fired/terminated because the "Manager" was afraid he'd lose his job or have me promoted above him. I could give two shakes if you've been at a company for 15+ years and have "Seniority" over me. I have vast, real-world experience...you have your very narrow problem set of experience that culminated in not knowing how to do something that resulted in bringing me in. The differences are rarely, if ever, spoken aloud, but are confirmed daily.
Common, dramatized problem. Hiring can be only occasionally perfect.
"Will burns the proof. Lambeau tries to save it.
LAMBEAU: You're right, Will. I can't do this proof. But you can, and when it comes to that it's only about ... it's just a handful of people in the world who can tell the difference between you and me. But I'm one of them.
WILL: Sorry.
LAMBEAU: Yeah, so am I. Most days I wish I never met you. Because then I could sleep at night, and I wouldn't have to walk around with the knowledge that there's someone like you out there ... . And I didn't have to watch you throw it all away ..."
Anyone else found it a little surprising he managed to get a patent for it? Encoder wheels for 7-segment-displays have been around for a long time (e.g. http://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/old-two-digit-led-wit... ), and this is just the straightforward implementation of one using photonics - basically a 1-of-10 to 7-segment decoder with OR gates.
A few things. Talk to a counselor (psychologist) to vent and vet the issues that led to your past depression and begin a treatment plan. Everyone has problems, some choose those problems, some choose to move on, and some choose to contemplate suicide like yourself (and some actually commit suicide). Just as you sought assistance here, call around and get an appointment.
Do many small things that build into bigger things. You had mentioned LEGO. Make 1 small shed. Done. Make 1 small house. Done. Make another house. Done. Make a city. Done. Make another city. Done. Make a world. Done. One LEGO a time. One line of code at a time. One hamburger at a time.
Ideas are great, and plentiful. Execution is the hard part. Which is better: McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, Sonic, Whole Foods Deli, or your local choices of hamburger joints? Who cares who was there first, learn from them and leverage the differences. You're an American. We have been subjected to the greatest Marketing machine on the planet since birth...look at all of the competition for damn near anything. Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, was a dyslexic orphan who stumbled around creating his empire...and it started with one pretty crappy store (restaurant) in Columbus, Ohio. Was Wendy's the only game in town? Did Wendy's not have any competition locally, nationally, or globally? WHO CARES! He forged ahead and died a Billionaire. When Dave was born did anyone think Dave Thomas could even run a Hamburger store or that his potential (or destiny) would be owning thousands of hamburger stores? Probably not. He threw his all into something and despite the failures, loss of market share, fighting healthy menu choices, etc. he still did something. Arguably, the Dave Thomas Foundation is what his true potential/destiny would be.
Your potential is not something you live up to, it is something you live. The imaginary apex of potential is well, imaginary. It is also so one-dimensional as to be transparent. Focus on living right, whatever that means to you, and the rest will come.
To answer your questions:
1. Never give up on getting back up. Note the "results" (not the "failure", that's called learning), and say aloud, "Next." If you "fail" a test do you break down and cry? No, if you're smart you review the test and study the gaps in your knowledge and comprehension. Are the "results" random, or did you fail to plan?
2. I have seen many of "my ideas" eventually end up on the market. It's called validation not theft. What prevented me from getting there first or being a contender? All this BS about first to market is cute and does not prevent you, me, or anyone from doing it better, faster, cheaper.
This financial company you work for...are they the only financial company in the US or the world? Are they really that badass? Let's assume you are working for a bank, what company was the last disruptor? Ally? ING? Stripe maybe? ATMs are going the way of the dodo...I know, I worked for the big three (Diebold, NCR, and Fujitsu)...and they are scared as shit with all of the cashless, swipe, tap, bitcoin, online mortgages, email funds, etc. Point: Everyone's ideas will get to market eventually. Sometimes the idea comes with an alloy of passion, persistence, and good timing for you or someone else. Competition is good, as is using technology to pivot.
3: Burnout: take it easy, go camping, get away, read a book. Take many small breaks. Take a vacation. Take it easy. Have dreams, and live them.
4: Brogrammers and sexism...who cares. I put up with all kind of -isms and societal BS everyday. Welcome to society. I'm not sure what your issues are, but I just focus on my concerns.
5: I love bubble talk. It is very remedial. What goes up, must come down...but what aspects? Again, focus on your concerns. When one bubble pops another starts growing.
Edit: Adding that self-identifying race on a candidate's profile may not be optimal when US anti-discrimination hiring laws are in effect. However, a picture is worth a thousand words. If you are shallow enough to hire from a pool that excludes one or more races, then you are also shallow enough to hire a candidate based on their photograph. I understand that some companies are not diverse enough, but there are root causes that Jopwell is not addressing. One cause is America has deep Anglo-Saxon and European roots hence the majority of the population is/was White; the opposite issue may be present in Africa, India, or China where 'whites' are minorities. However, choosing candidates from a racially-segregated pool for the appearance of being diverse seems so shallow. Allowing all candidates, regardless of race, and simply including a photo of a candidate absolves Jopwell on several fronts.
I'm fine with the downvotes, even if I do not understand why. These are valid points.