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Ask HN: What keeps you going?

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Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#61

Post by et-al »

dvdhnt wrote: post #4

Speaking as someone who just started his third programming job, and who had a previous unrelated career; the money. The money and other benefits allow me to subsidize and fund the kind of life I want to have with my family. I know that my children and my wife in our later years will have the resources we need to be financially, physically, and emotionally healthy.

How do you evaluate which companies to join when you're looking for a job? Would salary be your primary factor?

(Asking this as someone who's juggling between Big Co. with RSUs and smaller startup that pays well, but nowhere near as much.)

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#62

Post by mooreds »

It's a job that:

* allows autonomy (depending on where you are)

* is lucrative

* makes you a valued employee (often)

* is mentally challenging

* has a low barrier to entry (though getting higher)

* is location independent (or can be)

* is in demand across different geographies (especially most cities)

* is easy enough on the body to be done into your 80s

* doesn't require selling anything

* requires you to learn every day

* lets you build things that actually help people

I've been a developer for almost two decades and have looked at many other kinds of jobs, but haven't found anything that compares to that set of attributes. At least for me, it's the bees knees.

Note that above I used the word "development" and not coding. That was conscious. The world of software development includes the magical flow of coding, but is so much more.

Edit: I did write a blog post about the difference between a developer and a programmer.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#63

Post by throw_this_one »

harlanji wrote: post #58
ams6110 wrote: post #39

I'm 50+. More and more ready to chuck it. Or at least take a long sabbatical. I have the funds to do it, probably. My parents both worked until they were about 70 and neither lived to see 75. So I'd like to avoid that ending. If I do, I think I will go tech-free for a while. No internet, no cable TV. Books, some other non-tech hobbies. If I really need to look something up I can go to a coffee shop with a tablet. Sou…

Do it if you can. I’m 33 and took a year in 2013, can hardly reacclimate to tech work culture as it’s so sick but love building my own stuff. It’s all inspired by healthy things, and when I go back to the salary time suck my life gets miserable. Not gonna go all woo woo since it’s only Tuesday, but when one is in tune everything is more vivid and time loses a lot of meaning. I could never fast at a corporate job for…

Nice! I'm 26 and thinking about doing the same thing soon. So you just took off for a year or did more things? I agree about the vividness. Once you get in flow, doing things you generally enjoy, and you have a few days/weeks of solid sleep and enjoyment, everything just makes sense. The path is clear.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#64

Post by masteruvpuppetz »

docker_up wrote: post #25

I've been programming for 25+ years. I still love programming. Never wanted to be a manager. The challenge of coding, solving problems, and being well-paid for it make me very happy. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen, working from home, looking out my deck onto SF Bay. This is not a lifestyle I would have been able to accomplish being a chemical or mechanical engineer, a biologist, an accountant, etc. I truly feel…

As an accountant I take an offence to this.. NOT!!

edit: minor spelling error

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#65

Post by dasmoth »

jamiepenney wrote: post #56
bluGill wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I probably wouldn't do my job, I do believe I would do something similar for an open source project.

Your relation to the work would change I think. You would be less inclined to put up with bad working conditions, heavy deadline pressures, that sort of thing. Things you would normally let slide for the paycheque become dealbreakers or things you push back on.

I think this is true, but it’s also a bit frustrating in that it’s not at all obvious that programmers are building more or better stuff as a result of the “bad working environment” side of things. So can’t we just lose that?

(It probably doesn’t help that preferences are quite variable. I’m generally pretty comfortable doing tight-deadline stuff at least some of the time, especially if it’s clear why someone needs the thing fast. On the other hand, I’m not a big fan of some of the current process/“practices” stuff, and can see that people who enjoy a fair amount of structure could dislike an environment I found near-ideal)

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#66

Post by collyw »

docker_up wrote: post #25

I've been programming for 25+ years. I still love programming. Never wanted to be a manager. The challenge of coding, solving problems, and being well-paid for it make me very happy. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen, working from home, looking out my deck onto SF Bay. This is not a lifestyle I would have been able to accomplish being a chemical or mechanical engineer, a biologist, an accountant, etc. I truly feel…

I like programming, but many of the jobs out there seem to involve only a small percentage of your time actually doing it.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#67

Post by collyw »

saluki wrote: post #3

I think you either enjoy programming and have a knack for it or you don't. I love programming so I look forward to it everyday. Learning new things, applying things you have learned, solving hard problems keep it interesting for me. Having your own side projects are a good way to learn new things and look forward to the time you have to spend on them. A CS degree and a job as a developer can lead to untold riches rig…

I have tried side projects but I never have the time for (finishing) them. I have a lot of interests outside of tech and outdoor sports feels like a far better us of my spare time. They keep me fit and are a good way to clear my mind of work.

Re: Ask HN: What keeps you going?

#69

Post by knrz »

throw_this_one wrote: post #63
harlanji wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do it if you can. I’m 33 and took a year in 2013, can hardly reacclimate to tech work culture as it’s so sick but love building my own stuff. It’s all inspired by healthy things, and when I go back to the salary time suck my life gets miserable. Not gonna go all woo woo since it’s only Tuesday, but when one is in tune everything is more vivid and time loses a lot of meaning. I could never fast at a corporate job for…

Nice! I'm 26 and thinking about doing the same thing soon. So you just took off for a year or did more things? I agree about the vividness. Once you get in flow, doing things you generally enjoy, and you have a few days/weeks of solid sleep and enjoyment, everything just makes sense. The path is clear.

What’s this path you’re talking about? Is it fasting as a means of rebooting your system?
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