Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 40 posts

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#21

Post by toomuchtodo »

jacquesm wrote: post #20
sprocket wrote: post #19

I did this myself thirteen years ago - I quit my well paying software job, bought a bunch of goats, and built a cheese business. I'm just now in the process of winding our dairy and cheese business down - it was an amazing period of personal and professional growth, money wasn't an issue, but the complete lack of flexibility (exacerbated by having to milk animals twice daily, every day, for 300 days in a row) eventua…

If you would expand that comment into a book I would probably buy it.

+1, would preorder!

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#22

Post by CoastalCoder »

frankbreetz wrote: post #13
JimtheCoder wrote: post #5

Go find the HN equivalent of physics or "real" engineering and listen to people complain about their work? /s Or just use your current skillset to work together with others on side projects or simulations related to those areas? Eg. I am a programmer, but I love fighter jets, missiles, guided bombs and such. I will never get a job in those fields, can't pursue war and destruction as a hobby, so I do things like learn…

The F-35 in famously has 8 million lines of codes[0]. The DoD employes 1000s of SWEs directly and as contractors. A ton of software goes into "fighter jets, missles, guided bombs, and such". Why don't you get one of those jobs? [0] https://m-cacm.acm.org/news/250302-f-35s-buggy-software-prom...

Doing software engineering within the DoD bureaucracy and security posture can be deeply frustrating.

For an ambitious software developer to thrive there, I think they need a deep commitment to the purpose, or lack exposure to how quickly things can move in more nimble shops.

Not saying it's a bad career, but some people are better suited to it than others.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#23

Post by codegeek »

Most non tech fields will not have the flexibility of WFH etc. Pay will most likely be less unless you are a big shot Doctor/Lawyer (requires decades of accreditations so thats ruled out) or Investment Banker/Private equity associate/managers (extremely high barrier to entry and requires elite schools/experience already which you don't have).

So the "other fields" that you dream of will most likely be paid much less on an average with much less work life balance. For example, if you work on cars, you will most likely have to commute to an office or even a factory with terrible working conditions for the most part. Reality of how it works.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#24

Post by lazyasciiart »

frankbreetz wrote: post #13
JimtheCoder wrote: post #5

Go find the HN equivalent of physics or "real" engineering and listen to people complain about their work? /s Or just use your current skillset to work together with others on side projects or simulations related to those areas? Eg. I am a programmer, but I love fighter jets, missiles, guided bombs and such. I will never get a job in those fields, can't pursue war and destruction as a hobby, so I do things like learn…

The F-35 in famously has 8 million lines of codes[0]. The DoD employes 1000s of SWEs directly and as contractors. A ton of software goes into "fighter jets, missles, guided bombs, and such". Why don't you get one of those jobs? [0] https://m-cacm.acm.org/news/250302-f-35s-buggy-software-prom...

They said they "can't pursue war and destruction as a hobby".

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#25

Post by fsflover »

jacquesm wrote: post #20
sprocket wrote: post #19

I did this myself thirteen years ago - I quit my well paying software job, bought a bunch of goats, and built a cheese business. I'm just now in the process of winding our dairy and cheese business down - it was an amazing period of personal and professional growth, money wasn't an issue, but the complete lack of flexibility (exacerbated by having to milk animals twice daily, every day, for 300 days in a row) eventua…

If you would expand that comment into a book I would probably buy it.

Reminds me of this movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Biggest_Little_Farm.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#26

Post by fuzzfactor »

browningstreet wrote: post #4

Identify the difference between dreaming (plausible things) and fantasizing (implausible things). Make a decision about what your imagination is providing to you and that categorization process may relieve you of spending cycles on the thing that won’t happen and which largely functions as a way to keep yourself burdened. It’s also okay to have a mental funeral for a long-standing dream which is now an unsatisfactory…

Very good advice categorizing realistic fantasies, including this:

>have a mental funeral for a long-standing dream

Just don't quit dreaming altogether.

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#27

Post by sprocket »

jacquesm wrote: post #20
sprocket wrote: post #19

I did this myself thirteen years ago - I quit my well paying software job, bought a bunch of goats, and built a cheese business. I'm just now in the process of winding our dairy and cheese business down - it was an amazing period of personal and professional growth, money wasn't an issue, but the complete lack of flexibility (exacerbated by having to milk animals twice daily, every day, for 300 days in a row) eventua…

If you would expand that comment into a book I would probably buy it.

After I've sorted out the what-to-do-next issue, perhaps I'll consider putting it down in my cheese making memoirs.

In the interim, here're some gratuitous photos from the farm:

   https://imgur.com/a/84zAcbu
As a final aside...anyone looking to hire a tech guy with 13 years farming experience? ;)

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#28

Post by jacquesm »

sprocket wrote: post #27
jacquesm wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you would expand that comment into a book I would probably buy it.

After I've sorted out the what-to-do-next issue, perhaps I'll consider putting it down in my cheese making memoirs. In the interim, here're some gratuitous photos from the farm: https://imgur.com/a/84zAcbu As a final aside...anyone looking to hire a tech guy with 13 years farming experience? ;)

Those photos make me want to hear the rest of the story even more :)

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#29

Post by abhayhegde »

JimtheCoder wrote: post #5

Go find the HN equivalent of physics or "real" engineering and listen to people complain about their work? /s Or just use your current skillset to work together with others on side projects or simulations related to those areas? Eg. I am a programmer, but I love fighter jets, missiles, guided bombs and such. I will never get a job in those fields, can't pursue war and destruction as a hobby, so I do things like learn…

Curious enough to know what's the HN equivalent of Physics? Maybe r/Physics?

Re: Ask HN: How to stop dreaming about working in other fields?

#30

Post by mancerayder »

sprocket wrote: post #19

I did this myself thirteen years ago - I quit my well paying software job, bought a bunch of goats, and built a cheese business. I'm just now in the process of winding our dairy and cheese business down - it was an amazing period of personal and professional growth, money wasn't an issue, but the complete lack of flexibility (exacerbated by having to milk animals twice daily, every day, for 300 days in a row) eventua…

You couldn't pay people to do the -13C activities?
Post reply on HN