Follow the rules. You lose.

I got talking with @poppacalypse about the movie Ender’s Game and how it actually inspired me to go indie hacker.

It’s a sci-fi movie adapted from a book, but it has some really interesting parallel concepts to gaming, psychology and success. There’s a scene where Ender (the protagonist) was playing a video game called the giant’s drink. He plays a tiny mouse, and had to choose between two cups that a giant offered, before he can progress to the next stage of the game. “What is poison, what is not? Choose right and you go to fairy land.” But no matter which cup he chose, he just kept dying and losing the game.

“It’s a stupid game. No matter what I choose I die. It’s rigged.”

In the end, Ender decided to attack the giant instead to win, by gorging into the eye of the giant. Very violent end, but a counterintuitive and creative way to win.

"Follow the rules you lose. Choose violence you win."

I remember watching that movie on a plane. One of those in-flight entertainment offerings. Maybe it’s the the anticipation of travel and adventure. Or difference air pressure. But I recall vividly after that movie, that I wanted out.

Out of the rat race.
Out of employment game.
Out of building someone else’s dream.
Out of the usual narratives of success and failure.

I think this happened around the time just before or after I quit my last job. But it’s really a trigger for what’s already latent, what’s already brewing underneath for some time. The movie just brought it out.

I didn’t want to follow the rules anymore. I didn’t want someone else giving me false choices to choose from. It’s all rigged in favour of those who created the game and set the rules.

I wanted to create my own third choice. My own path, in career and life. My own game that I want to win in.

And I’ll kill the giants of society’s expectations and ideals if I have to win. I chose the ‘violence’ of indie hacking.

Seven years on, I’m still not really there yet. Making money is tougher. Life is harder.

But I’m happier.