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Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

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Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#1

Post by bckr »

I'm in my late 20s, just started my career proper as a developer. I got into a big tech position, leaving behind startups and the chaos of my early 20s, for now.

When I started school at 18, I was full of excitement and big ideas. Over time, economic, social, and physiological realities have sunk in: big ideas are hard and take a LOT of time to realize. Happiness is found in relationships. People (myself included) are very limited and imperfect. The body requires a lot of maintenance and has limited energy. Money is really nice.

A mentor has advised me not to become "boring" and wants me to try to stay entrepreneurial. I still want to be creative. But I wonder if I'll do these things or if I will just work and be happy.

I don't have a specific question here, just want to get perspectives and experiences. It seems like this forum is full of people who have traveled a similar path: starting with big ideas and hopes for their future, sometimes being able to achieve those but through a tremendous amount of time and effort. Or, have realized that a certain amount of money, free time and family is all they really need.

What are your thoughts?

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#2

Post by bthallplz »

I don't think you need to worry about choosing one path over the other. If you want to do "non-boring" things, you can still do them while working for a more conservative/mundane company. The latter can provide a solid foundation for you to explore the former.

When I was in college I was pretty entrepreneurial. Since graduating and starting my career over the past few years, I've built a good foundation for myself (getting my own place, saving money, and growing in my career in a way that's complementary to my personal interests), and I'm now ramping back up to the levels of thinking and dreaming that I used to do (if not moreso).

Edit: relating to your mention of the importance of relationships, note that you need to make connections with people that do the things you're interested in and keep your mind oriented towards that. I have entrepreneurial and creative friends. You have your mentor. You might benefit from meeting people that are closer to you in terms of how far along they are on the path towards what you're interested in - people to grow with and mutually inspire and encourage.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#3

Post by kwatsonafter »

Political instability, the decline of post-war culture, and the ascendency of the Global South is going to define your lifetime if you live long enough. The, "big ideas" are mostly bullshit. Read, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. You're not Luke Skywalker, Neo, Harry Potter, or Elizabeth Swan. Do what you want and be free. You're not the main character and if you can realize that at some sincere level without killing yourself you'll be capable of everything. You'll be an actual human being. You'll be the breadth of the evening sky.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#4

Post by PaulHoule »

I just turned 50 and I’d say I’ve had entrepreneurial episodes where I’ve tried ambitious things and also times I was more ‘boring’ and mostly thinking about paying back my HELOC.

I am working on another reinvention now and it will take a lot of time and a lot of work…. And I’ve still got some time and ability to work and a strong feeling of urgency because I don’t know how much I have left.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#5

Post by leros »

Be wary of advice from a successful entrepreneur. They've gambled and won. Unless you want to be an entrepreneur and you're also ok with the idea of failing and never becoming rich from it, their advice might not apply to you and your life.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#6

Post by fsociety »

You can do great work at big tech companies. Sometimes startups and big tech are like two tribes and each group likes to pretend they are better than the other, but in reality everybody poops.

There may be a time you want to go back to startups but don’t do so in the interest of not being “boring”.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#7

Post by version_five »

Do you know the song "Simple kind of man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd? I think your dilemma is roughly what that song is about, but I also don't think you get to choose.

I've had a few cushy jobs that would have set me for life with good money and work life balance, and I quit them because I was bored af and felt like I was wasting my life. I don't regret it at all, but I'm definitely "behind" lots of my peers who have been happy to settle. If you can find fulfillment in a "boring" life, do it. To some extend it's miserable always looking for more. But it's also exciting and I personally wouldn't want to "settle" and would be miserable if I did. As I say, i don't think it's really a decision, it will depend on who you are and what you prioritize.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#8

Post by Youden »

When I was younger I was in a similar position. Now, I've realised that there's a lot more to life than work and you only have so much energy to spend.

Spend your energy on what makes you happy.

When it comes to work, I prioritise a high money/effort ratio. I get paid well at a megacorp but I work normal hours and take it pretty easy while working. That's not to say I'm lazy but I'm not crazy ambitious like some of my colleagues.

Entrepreneurship really needs a lot of time, risk and dedication, so it's not for me.

I also want to be creative but I do that outside of work. I have a lot of varied hobbies.

Re: Ask HN: Thoughts on being “boring”

#10

Post by grundoon »

"It seems like this forum is full of people who have traveled a similar path: starting with big ideas and hopes for their future, sometimes being able to achieve those but through a tremendous amount of time and effort. Or, have realized that a certain amount of money, free time and family is all they really need." -- I think you could replace "this forum" with "this world" and it would still be true. At this point in my life I don't mind admitting: I'm in the latter group.
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