In my case, the answer is: my job pays my bills, while I work on my startup after hours. Also, as many mentioned, standard interviews are so much pain.
Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
21–30 of 35 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#22Money
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#23Almost none of the startups I see hiring in my area have interesting/worthwhile "missions".
No, I don't want to "reinvent how companies handle employee wellness perks" or "help find people the right credit cards and mortgage rates" (real quotes from startups in my area). That stuff seems worse than what I'm working on now.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#24[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#25I work for a startup, but I'm bored. The biggest hurdle to overcome when wanting to switch jobs, for me and for all the people I know, is going through the interview process. This isn't the sort of discussion you're looking for. But I'd say for most people who are bored at work, working on a CRUD app in a startup isn't going to be intellectually stimulating.
I'm a bit surprised to see folks mentioning interviews. Sure they suck, but HN crowd should just be crushing them.
And given the heated market employers should already streamline the process for their advantage.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#26I work for a startup, but I'm bored. The biggest hurdle to overcome when wanting to switch jobs, for me and for all the people I know, is going through the interview process. This isn't the sort of discussion you're looking for. But I'd say for most people who are bored at work, working on a CRUD app in a startup isn't going to be intellectually stimulating.
I'm a bit surprised to see folks mentioning interviews. Sure they suck, but HN crowd should just be crushing them. And given the heated market employers should already streamline the process for their advantage.
> HN crowd should just be crushing them
How so? Most interview processes focus on finding folks who can solve totally arbitrary algorithmic questions that aren't used anywhere other than "Algorithms 401" at University.
While there are a handful of HN users that seem to gravitate toward that being a useful skill worth filtering for, the prevalent attitude seems to feel that it's outdated and asinine.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#27Almost none of the startups I see hiring in my area have interesting/worthwhile "missions". No, I don't want to "reinvent how companies handle employee wellness perks" or "help find people the right credit cards and mortgage rates" (real quotes from startups in my area). That stuff seems worse than what I'm working on now.
Not sure if you've seen 80,000 Hours (Effective Altruism) but they have a job board [0] for companies with more directed/focused missions and are overall a good resource.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#281) Startups suck. They will work you to death all for the promise that maybe it will pay off one day (but probably won't.)
2) I don't want to work for a "mission-driven" company. What does that even mean? Most companies lie about their mission anyways. They want to make money, not save the planet.
3) There is not a company out there that is "aligned" with my values. I value free time. I value spending time with my family and friends. I value doing separate things from work.
4) I do not care about having "impact" or about "growth". Been there; done that. It is overrated. Building up a company's value so that the executives get bigger & bigger bonuses does not motivate me at all.
If you are able to change the world, build your own company. Don't work for someone else and let them take the credit. If you can't change the world, then stop pretending you can. Work, get paid, and then go home and spend some quality time with your loved ones. Stop trying to trick me into wasting my limited time left by slaving for other people.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#291) Startups suck. They will work you to death all for the promise that maybe it will pay off one day (but probably won't.) 2) I don't want to work for a "mission-driven" company. What does that even mean? Most companies lie about their mission anyways. They want to make money, not save the planet. 3) There is not a company out there that is "aligned" with my values. I value free time. I value spending time with my fa…
This is a great answer, particularly the point about your environment and how much you value your own time. I’ve come to accept that if I want to work on impactful work, I have to do it on my own. At a corporate job, I’m perfectly fine doing 9-5 with excellence and leaving the mission-driven ladder climbing for others.
Survivorship bias is problem with startup stories. You will hear the great success stories of the few standing on the carcasses of the vast majority that burned out and crashed.
Re: Ask HN: Why won't you quit a job you hate?
#30I have happily quit several jobs. As long as I have 6 months of living expenses (including insurance costs) saved I feel able to quit. This time would likely increase once I have family relations.
It helps that I enjoy the interview process and don't find it taxing, which I seem to be alone in.