Hi, I’m Xianmin, your Remote IT Concierge, and this is my startup weekly journal.

Week 6 Startup Actions

My biggest achievement this week was receiving my first consulting job.

The client was a college student about to graduate and looking for work, who was a customer of mine two weeks ago.
He told me he was feeling uncertain about his future as graduation approached and wanted to chat with me.
I acknowledged my limited knowledge and that I couldn’t solve his problems in a short time, telling him that even after many years in society, I also face uncertainty.
He still wanted to talk, proactively offered payment, and since I had time available, I agreed to chat.

This consultation (which could also be described as a collision between a confused Gen Z graduate and a confused middle-aged unemployed person) was conducted in two parts:

First Hour: Discussing Life

I’m hesitant to give life advice, but he wanted to know what I would tell my ten-year-old self.
I said my ideas are mostly from books, nothing original,
and recommended “Poor Charlie’s Almanack,” sharing the concepts of margin of safety and mental models from the book.
My understanding of “margin of safety” is not just about securing your capital; by extension, health, time, credit, etc., should all be kept safe and not overdrawn.
Also, Munger’s “inverse thinking” method is interesting: rather than thinking “what should I do,” consider “what should I avoid.”

When he mentioned applying to a Web3 company, I gave a friendly reminder that without proper domestic compliance, there’s little security and potential legal risks.

He said he was considering graduate school.
I encouraged him to pursue it, saying it’s never too late and a year is enough time.
The core thinking model in computer science is divide and conquer.
Graduate school is a big goal and problem - how do we break it down into specific smaller goals and problems?
Thinking isn’t enough; only action matters.
Take action, and the world will give you answers.

He later extended for another hour.

Second Hour: Discussing Technology

This mainly focused on explaining unclear aspects of the project I did for him two weeks ago.
On the technical side, there was no fluff - I simply explained what he asked about.
I also pointed out the key technical aspects of his project.

However, interview and job search advice is not my area of expertise.

Reflections on This Consultation

If this student had initially just wanted to chat casually without mentioning payment, I probably would have kept it casual without sharing too much.
But since he paid, the nature changed, and I felt obligated to provide good service.

Everyone can offer consulting services; everyone has their unique experiences.
Payment can secure better service.
If you want to gain something from others, it’s better to offer them something first.
This is what I learned from this college student.

This consultation came without preparation but gave me some inspiration.

Perhaps I could package “consulting services” as a product? I need to think more about this.

For now, let me advertise a bit.

I offer the following consulting services:

  1. Computer front-end technology explanations, front-end best practices, etc.;
  2. AI usage tips for the general public, insights on AI applications in your industry;
  3. Advice on managing and operating hostels (after all, I ran a youth hostel for 7 years);
  4. How to self-learn computer science and English;
  5. Experience with car camping, RV travel;
  6. Experience with hiking and long-distance cycling;

Fee: 42 per hour. (The number 42 is “the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything” 😄)

Conclusion

What types of consulting services are worth paying for?
How can we effectively evaluate a consultant’s professional ability and service quality? What are some reliable evaluation metrics and reference factors?