Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#21

Post by sandruso » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:03 AM UTC

plodman wrote: post #17

Letting myself get burned-out to the point of considering the s word. Every time I just thought “things will get better, it’s probably just me”. I’ve since switched jobs after a break but I still struggle with focus and attention span. Hoping that improves over time.

Wish you well!

Did you work from home? Because my attention span also dropped significantly during covid. What helped was getting out of the house to get some work done.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#22

Post by switch007 » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:05 AM UTC

Not pushing myself to go to a better university

Not saving enough when younger

Not moving to Europe when it was easier to do so (I’m British)

Oh well. Life is too short to dwell on such things. You can only change the future, not the past.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#23

Post by Sirened » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:06 AM UTC

that I wasn't braver as a teenager and that I didn't stand up and fight for myself until I was much older. So many years lost to suffering because I was too afraid of consequences...

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#24

Post by Cwizard » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:07 AM UTC

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #18

annie_muss wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. Mid thirties. Friends are running successful companies, making 6 figures, in early retirement. I'm still living in a small apartment struggling with a Swiss cheese resume. My advice to others: don't think "I'm still young, there's still time." Push push push today! You will rapidly run out of time. All through my twenties I did various jobs, I thought that great software job was just around the corner. Tur…

Why not study medicine and become a doctor? The web dev industry is too ageist and mostly runs on churning new-grads, whereas as a doctor, gray hair is an advantage not a perceived "disability". Or try less hip domains in SW development popular with gray beards like embedded. Pay isn't as hot as web dev, but age is not a problem. Edit, since I'm comment throttled and can't reply: In my country studying medicine is fr…

This is strange advice? I would assume becoming a doctor is hard, extremely expensive, takes a long time and not something you should go into because ‘you see your friends making 6 figures’

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#25

Post by matsemann » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:09 AM UTC

ihatepython wrote: post #9

Bitcoin. I knew about it from the very beginning.

Meh, would probably have sold once my $10 investment reached $1000 or $10,000 or so anyways, no way most people would've kept their head cold (and _gambled_) on it going even further.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#26

Post by ChuckNorris89 » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:10 AM UTC

cosmodisk wrote: post #7

That I haven't punched a few people in the face when I should have.

Be careful with this regret. In my country you can go to jail if you punch people and harm them, even in self defense. Running away from fights is a better deal than having a police record.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#27

Post by michaelcao » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:10 AM UTC

Great question. I wish I would not change anything. Sometimes, I wanted to get out of technology and tried to find another job. Nonetheless, it was a waste of time. I should focus on software development because it's my strength. All of us should use our strength to be a giver. Money will follow.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#28

Post by xupybd » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:11 AM UTC

ihatepython wrote: post #9

Bitcoin. I knew about it from the very beginning.

Ha! A bit coin miner was almost my honours project.

I console myself in the fact that I would have sold any Bitcoin I might have mined well before the price really took off.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#29

Post by rookiemistakes » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:11 AM UTC

Last week, actually. Was a bit careless and inebriated while working on a demo and suddenly I realized I had luksFormatted the luks partition holding the only copy of keys for cryptocurrency worth ~$200k. That was a sizable fraction if my supposed net worth. Either I'm still in denial or I've risen above obsessive materialism as it doesn't affect me too much so far, though. Its just money.

Unplugged the drive and haven't touched it since but I'm not holding my hopes up.

Re: Ask HN: What's Your Biggest Regret?

#30

Post by eternauta3k » Fri, Oct 07, 2022, 9:13 AM UTC

m3nu wrote: post #14

I was always interested in IT, but studied business instead because my parents thought IT would be too stressful. Ended up programming a distributed simulation optimization tool for my master thesis (in business), while already doing multiple online startups. Do I regret not studying CS and following a SWE career? I really don't know because many skills from the business side have served me well too. Would I have sta…

Similar story but I studied Physics. I've been on positions with more or less SW development, but switching to a real programmer job seems so hard while working full time...