111–120 of 182 posts
I burnt out hard after almost 20 years programming, mostly web things, last decade in the full-stack JavaScript ecosystem. Last year I started building simple electronic stuff with the Raspberry Pi Pico board. It's not far off from programming and I had to learn C (Python feels too JS somehow), but being able to literally move things with electrons and code and talk directly to the metal awakened something in me. I g…
I think solving problems in that space or just helping out will give huge amounts of good vibe energy and eventually lead to something you want to do in the long term.
(OP here) I wanted to avoid a wall of text, so I'll elaborate here on where I'm coming from. My complaints with FAANG have to do with perverse incentives that reward nonsensical decisions, poorly thought-out and over-engineered projects, grandiose documents, duplication of work, selective reporting of metrics, etc. The few times I had a really good manager, a sane environment, and fulfilling work only lasted until th…
I'm about to turn 40, was in something of the same situation if you squint a little. As with anything YMMV, but here's my advice. Take your sabbatical, do something crafty but not-at-all-software-related*. I chose ceramics. When you reach the point where you start programming tools to help with your new avocation, it's time to go back to the job market. Took me about 5 months. I made some beautiful (and ugly!) things…
What a legendary quote. And very true. You might find that 'crude' things are technical in their own way.
When it comes to burnout, the general advice I received is take minimum 1 year off work. I left my job a few months ago as the burnout got so bad I wasn’t able to conjure up the motivation to tackle the simplest of tasks. First couple months I didn’t feel any better and I was getting worried. But I’m _just_ starting to feel better now. I’m finding myself more positive and less stressed. So what am I doing? I’m living…
Yeah I'm sure everyone can be unemployed for a year straight and live out of their car. That sounds completely reasonable and not absolutely, in any way, privileged or insane.
If you're open to a, maybe severe, change in lifestyle, you'll see that you don't need much to live. To those that are interested, I recommend reading "Vagabonding" by Rolf Potts and watching "Minimalism" documentary by The Minimalists as a start point.
No need to hesitate - you've worked 10 years in FAANG, you'll get 10 jobs offers per month if needed. So, just do it.
But remember, freedom is responsibility.
So, have fun while doing 3 or 4 projects of your list. Switch between them to keep it light and fun. If you get depressed or if you start to just consuming full-time (gaming, Netflix, sleeping, party/drugs etc) for a prolonged period (>month) you don't have the "rigor" and you should get back to a job where people tell you what to do.
In essence, be your own best parent/teacher.
Good luck.
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I would offer that the more clearly and honestly you formulate those things, the more likely it is that the right opportunity will present itself. Nothing magical about this philosophy, it's a simple consequence of being able to say "no" to the many possible wayward paths that we normally waste precious time on.
If you are able to, I'd recommend to take a sabbatical. I took 6 months off 9 years ago and I'm still super glad I did. Give your mind some rest and peace, disconnect and everything will follow. If that's not an option, why not join a smaller company where you can work fully remote and only 4 days a week? I have yet to meet somebody that went from 5 to 4 days/week and regretted it. There are so many profitable compan…
I am on month 7 of my sabbatical and it has completely changed my life for the better
I mean for 10+ consecutive days. Completely disconnected from work. No email etc.