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Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

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Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#71

Post by jacobwg »

Currently an 8.

Worked at an 8 or 9 a few years ago, architecting large parts of a startup's backend and really enjoyed the creative freedom. Then changed jobs and hopped on the new technology hype train and burned myself out down to probably a 2 or 3. As other people are mentioning, that can be a quick way to kill happiness. I'm all for learning new things, but in balance with productive, creative work, not as my primary job.

Just recently changed jobs and the new company has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome, which really contributes to job happiness. And it's a better blend of established and newer tech, so less turmoil.

For context, I'm a senior web engineer.

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#72

Post by gaara87 »

10

I'm an Android Developer. 2 years in this job. Absolutely love it as over time I've expanded from just core coding all the way to being the bridge between design teams, business interests and server/backend/api teams.

I think biggest contribution to my happiness of the job are the people i'm working with. They make it a place to go with a smile in the morning.

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#73

Post by punchingpeople »

marktangotango wrote: post #58
Isamu wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I grew up on a farm, and that's why I'm a programmer! (I kid! Actually it was the summers working construction that drove me to programming.) Farming is not such fun, but rural living is pretty cool.

As a former poor rural farm kid myself, I recommend raising your family before, or have enough in reserve so they don't have to go without. Also go through a winter with heat from wood you cut yourself. That's a good indicator if the life is for you or not :)

Former poor rural farm kid here as well. I have to admit I wouldn't go back to the corn fields, corn harvesting is hard and painful (sharp leaves). But working with the animals is something I always miss, waking up early enough to see the sunrise on the fields, the smell of fresh manure...

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#76

Post by sotojuan »

dozzie wrote: post #66
PedroBatista wrote: post #20

5 Early 30s, spending days staring at computer screens is a nice way to waste your life, the whole RoR to Node.js to Go and React hype cycle made me realize I'm too old for this shit. Finding a job where I'm above of all that madness would be great but middle management is even worse and it's not in me. Maybe self-sufficiency farming would be a better route. Also, when you have a mostly physical demanding job, you ca…

> [...] the whole RoR to Node.js to Go and React hype cycle made me realize I'm too old for this shit. > Finding a job where I'm above of all that madness would be great [...] I think the problem is your assuming that programming is limited to cranking out dynamic websites ("web applications" they call them nowadays) all day. There are plenty of problems out there -- even internal ones! IT tools that are missing -- t…

This is what I'm thinking. I'm also getting tired of web dev already... and I'm only 22.

I spend part of my free time learning math, distributed systems, and other subjects in hopes of moving to another area one day.

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#77

Post by _tulpa »

1

OK company but underpaid, pretty good team, and the technical bits are really interesting.

The project is a 10 year boondoggle (still dogglin' strong), I've been here for four and there's been basically no progress since my first year when the only good manager left and nobody else would sign off on anything big enough to actually make a difference. It's incredibly frustrating to spend so much time and energy to go nowhere.

Also the team is distributed over four locations, we work weird hours because of the nature of the project, and we travel reasonably often but flexible hours or working from home are disallowed "to make management easier".

T minus three weeks till I'm out.

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#78

Post by ld00d »

punchingpeople wrote: post #68

1 Already working on making an small goat cheese operation. Goats are amazingly cost efficient and reliable. To all the other jaded developers: I intend to create an small haven of freedom, but need smart people to do it. Something self-organized, self-sustainable and anarchic. Who is up for it?

do you have a ping pong table?

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#79

Post by ld00d »

At the moment, 8, but pretty soon they'll want me to help out with Delphi again, and it'll be hell (1). I'll probably start searching for a new job then.

I wish I could just make my own sw and make money that way, but 1) I don't know what my product would be and 2) it's risky with kids and all. It'd be great to pick the technologies and environment and tools that I prefer.

Re: Ask HN: Software Developers – Do you like your job?

#80

Post by lj3 »

5. Senior Dev. 15 years of experience in web dev.

Most of what I do is pumping out new features and tracking down and fixing bugs that never should have been there in the first place. As a domain, Web Development just isn't hard enough to challenge me anymore. My focus for the last 5 years has been figuring out ways to increase new feature throughput on whatever the latest framework is. That's largely because that's what my employer has valued.

I had a brief stint (3 years) in video game development as well. I find the problems in game dev to be challenging, but I also like personal time and sleep, so I went back to web dev.

I'm working on a few more ambitious side projects that aren't related to web dev and have me excited, but I don't have enough experience with it to jump fields. Also, it's slow going because I can only sit in a chair for so many hours a day and paid work takes priority.

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