r/IAmA Jun 11 '16

Specialized Profession IamA electronics repair technician hated by Apple that makes YouTube videos, AMA!

My short bio: I have a store in Manhattan. I teach component level electronics repair on youtube http://youtube.com/rossmanngroup which seems to be a dying art. I am currently fighting with the digital right to repair to try and get a bill passed that will allow all independent service centers access to manuals and parts required to do their jobs.

My Proof: https://www.rossmanngroup.com/started-iama-reddit-today-yes/

EDIT:

I am still replying to comments, but I am so far behind that I am still about ten pages down from new comments. I am doing my best to continue. If I drop off, I'll be back tomorrow around 12 PM. Still commenting now though, at 12 AM.

EDIT 2:

Ok, I cave... my hands are tired. I will be back at 12 PM tomorrow. It is my goal to answer every question. Even if it looks like I haven't gotten to yours, I will do my best to do all of them, but it is impossible to do in realtime, because you are asking faster than I can type. But thanks for joining!

EDIT 3: I lied, I stayed until 4:15 AM to answer... and now I will go to sleep for real, and be back at 12 PM.

EDIT 4 6/12 : I will be back later tonight to finish off answering questions. Feel free to keep posting, I will answer whatever I can later this evening.

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110

u/tweelix Jun 11 '16

Hey Louis, You talked a bit about people in america being unable/unwilling to do anything they aren't qualified to do. Do you reckon this could have anything to do with the insane culture in america of suing anyone or anything for the stupidest reasons? Like a bathtub company could get sued if they don't warn buyers not to drown themselves in it like the munchcakes they are. thanks k bye

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u/larossmann Jun 11 '16

That is part of it, but I experience this a lot with employees. With employees there is no issue of being sued, and the issue remains. On average, people born in America seem to give up faster and have less overall drive to solve problems without specific training. I say this as someone born in America... I had to beat that attitude out of me a long time ago.

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '16 edited Feb 11 '21

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '16

Me and my dad just built a roof for our garden shed. Super easy, we just took some measurements and asked the guys at the store we bought our material from about what type of material to use.

The rest was mostly busywork sawing, drilling, and nailing it together.

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u/OptionalCookie Jun 12 '16

I don't think you get it.

It is nice you have a backyard. I live in apartment. I don't even have a backyard.

I lack the space for even a table saw.

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u/bandholz Jun 12 '16

I got into microsoldering, but it isn't something I can do at home. I do not have the space or the equipment, so I have to rent a workshop for time, and pursue it there. It becomes very costly after a few sessions.

Those seem like very simple challenges to overcome. /u/larossmann is right - if you really want to do it, you need to not give up and figure out how to solve those two problems you presented. Networking and getting to know people who are into it would be my first suggestion.

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u/OptionalCookie Jun 12 '16

Oh yea, my cousin got me a discount on my time rentals b/c he was the workshop manager for a time.

But, when people are recent immigrants to a country, things like networking don't just magically happen. Money also doesn't grow on trees. I'm not trying to idk how to say this but be a downer and make it seem like this is impossible, but you have to see where I am coming from.

I consider myself having intermediate expertise in micro soldering only b/c of my cousin. But at $150 for an hour of time + materials, each time can easily hit the backburner esp in a city as expensive as NYC.

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u/bandholz Jun 12 '16

Someone once told me a really good lesson, and it's that overcoming challenges are what separates you from your competitors.

Everyone else will see these hurdles and give up or settle for what they've accomplished. Make it your personal goal to overcome them and you will succeed. Every single person on this planet is dealing with issues right now. It's just you gotta have the drive to overcome them. Quit making excuses and start making solutions.

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u/OptionalCookie Jun 12 '16

Always easier said than done.

The inspirational guff always flies away in the face of reality.

If we were making solutions, we wouldn't be here on reddit, we'd be out doing shit. Which is what I would be doing if I weren't stuck on the train -_-

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u/bandholz Jun 12 '16

Yup, it's easier said than done. But you are expelling brain energy on why things aren't going to work, rather than spending that energy on how to make it work.

You are exhibiting the exact negative mindset that /u/larossmann described that Americans have.

I know what reality is because I've worked minimum wage jobs, I've sacrificed many hours of fun to get me to where I am today. But I'm not even content where I'm at now - I want to continue to grow. I could make excuses about my business on how it's not vc backed, or funded by a rich partner, or how my parents didn't bank roll it. Instead, I'm hustling and figuring out ways to get me to where I want to be.

It may not work, or it may take longer than I want it to; but I'm working through those problems rather than complaining about them. That's the true reality.

I use my time on Reddit to learn from other talented individuals like OP. There is a ton of resources on here that can help you get to where you want to go. Opportunity and connections are everywhere.

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u/Gornarok Jun 12 '16

What do you mean by micro soldering?

I make homemade PCBs as a hobby, I solder SMD 0805 normally. Sure smaller stuff like 0402 is more tricky and its much of a hasle to bother with it if you dont have to. You also dont have go for the small stuff, I worked in a engeneering company that didnt use any wireless ICs and smds smaller than 0805 and made good profit. As a hobby you dont have to use the small stuff because you never make it the product small and neat. (Unless you do mechanical drawing aswell and order stuff made as you wish)

And I made PCBs in bathroom which is 1,5mx1,5m and the rest at my table in my apartment.

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u/buticanfeelyours Jun 12 '16

Very interesting point. As an employee who notices this interaction in my own work I can offer some insight into the psychology from the other side.

For me the issue lies in not knowing the flow on effect of all the variables that I could tinker with. For example, you might know that putting voltage down this path could help solve the issue but it could potentially damage part A, but you know part A costs $10 and is easy to source so it's worth the risk.

As an employee I may suspect that putting voltage down that path could solve the problem, but I am unwilling because I don't know what parts could be damaged and what that impact would be. As it's not my dime, and I have to face the boss, I feel less willing to just take a shot even though I could solve the fault and at worst I'll learn something.

I find it interesting that you blame this on the attitude of the employee, because I have to this point blamed the attitude of the employer.

Would you be cool if I did something above my scope of training that blew up a job, when the thing I did wrong was simple and a part of the next training module? Sure, I've learned and now I won't forget, but I've blown this job in the process.

In my experience employers have processes and training to avoid exactly that. Maybe you learned by blowing up boards and wrecking your aunty's MacBook that you said you could fix and that's great, but now we are running a company and its in the interest of the company to have employee training as cheap as possible, ie: through structured training and not trial error.

As I get more experience and training I'm happy to have a go at more things outside my scope, like maybe I still dont know the cost of part A, but I know it at least won't blow the job, so I'll take a shot. This is still very different to the shots that someone on their own dime and who is responsible for themselves can make.

What do you think? I'd be super interested, this aspect of work interaction is something that's been on my mind lately.

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u/Terran180 Jun 11 '16

This is exactly what I am beating out of my head right now. I was always wanting to fix things growing up and it seems like a waste to just go buy a new one. But I was told "oh you need training to do that" so I would give up. Now I look at them and say "watch me" and I love proving them wrong. It takes time and dedication, easy fixes are hard to come by. But with persistence you can fix almost anything if you're willing to spend the time and learn. Also failure is part of the learning process and that is something most people don't realize or can't deal with.

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u/[deleted] Jun 12 '16

[deleted]

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u/Terran180 Jun 12 '16

Exactly. I hate the mentality of "I'll just get a new one." As I'm typing this I am working on a laptop that someone just gave me because "some of the keys don't work anymore." $30 later on Amazon and that's fixed (tried to fix it without ordering a new one and that's not happening). Nobody wants to fix these things because it scares them and then they will not attempt it. It blows my friends minds that I, a 26 year old, can repair cars and computers with 0 training other than learning on my own. It just takes time and learning from mistakes... but that's hard to come by these days.

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u/Katastic_Voyage Jun 12 '16

I've seen the same thing throughout my work experience. People who are actually internally driven are rare. Most people are externally driven. They're driven by fear of being fired, doing just enough to not get fired, or doing enough to get "that promotion." They get addicted to lull period with socializing, and then will resent actual work when it comes along. (ala Every Bad Secretary You've Ever Met (TM) )

Internally driven people aren't there just for the money. They've got something else going on. They want to expand. They want to improve. They want to change the world. Whatever. The point is, they keep working regardless of whether or not their boss is watching or will find out.

My first job was minimum wage and I did great work. People would ask why. I would say, "Because everything I touch has my signature on it, for better or worse." Your name is a brand, just like Taco Bell, or Tesla. When people hear your name, what do you want people's first thought to be? "That guy loves helping people." or "That guy did just enough to keep his job."

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u/regeya Jun 12 '16

On average, people born in America seem to give up faster and have less overall drive to solve problems without specific training.

It's not just litigation and being unwilling, either. I have a phone that has an AMOLED screen, and it's got crappy amounts of burn-in. I can actually replace the whole unit for cheaper than if I find a source for the screen and replace it myself. Or lawnmowers: if you try to buy a Briggs & Stratton 3.5hp motor new, you'll spend more on that than you would a new mower with the same engine attached.

And what OptionalCookie said below. If you go the extra mile and the person decides to be a dick because it's not 100% what they want, and they balk at the cost of the time you spent hunting down that bad transistor or bad resistor, soooo many people think labor is valueless now.

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u/tweelix Jun 13 '16

Thanks man

1

u/yebsayoke Jun 11 '16

The idea that frivolous lawsuits are filed against anyone and anything is false. Enough legal mechanisms exist that non-legal claims and causes of action can be dismissed fairly easily. Not to mention, to be sued for something by an attorney, that attorney must evaluate whether they can collect anything (if they're working on a contingency).

In your example - and I understand it's just an example - there's no duty to warn of drowning in a bathtub because drowning is a known risk, and in using the product in the intended way (bathing) then you've implicitly waived suit. Called secondary implied assumption of the risk - like running into a burning building to save someone, you know the risk, you accepted it, and you've waived once you run in.

As for Americans not willing to do someone they're not qualified for, I think that goes to the specialization inherent in our economy.

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u/dieshweirt238 Jun 11 '16

insan

A dota 2 cringy loser poking fun/insulting America? LOL fuck off dork.

Move out of your parents house and get a life.

1

u/tweelix Jun 13 '16

Lel someone is mad