Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#1

Post by throwaway_30yo » Wed, Sep 02, 2026, 12:39 PM UTC

After being let go from a small agency due to financial reasons, I find myself having at least 6-10 months of downtime for the first time in 10 years.

I am around 30 and feel burnt out from my tech career. I do not feel any interest or happiness towards building things right now. I chose this career mostly due to monetary reasons and pursued undergrad and graduate degrees in CS in Europe. After which, I worked as a product manager for a while in the networking/telco sector in internal enterprise systems.

I am really at a loss for what to do now or how to spend time. I was always interested in doing my own thing, but would not call myself a good engineer or as having deep skills in a particular domain. I am more of a jack of all trades.

I dread just getting the next job and continuing the corporate grind, but I really worry about what to do in the near future career-wise. If you were in my position, what would you do with the time?

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#2

Post by ElijahLynn » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 1:11 AM UTC

Start with getting excessive amounts of sleep, if you haven't already. I've found that burnout for me is caused by sleep deprivation. And when I get enough sleep, I feel really good and the burnout lifts greatly, even for things I don't like working on but it can take a week or two to actually catch up on sleep for me.

I can tell if I'm sleep deprived when walking up stairs. If I'm sleep deprived it just feels hard. And if I'm not sleep deprived I actually have a little spring in my step up the stairs.

There's a good video by levelsio and how he comes up with ideas for things he wants to work on.

I only have one month of runway and I'm working nights and weekends to build my first product now. So you are in a good position if you have that much runway!

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#3

Post by redrix » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 1:38 AM UTC

35. Almost the same position as you!

Personally, before doing anything else, I would take at least 3-4 weeks and have a proper break. It will take you at least 1-2 weeks to get out of “work mode”.

Stop thinking about work, ideas, the next thing, etc. Get off social media, HN, Reddit etc. Try and distance yourself from all of the things that may have contributed to the burnout in the first place.

I’d probably do some travel in that time - maybe a week or two going to a country I haven’t been to before.

Once I was back, I’d then start to consider my next move with (hopefully) a fresher and clearer mindset.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#4

Post by satvikpendem » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 1:39 AM UTC

Go travel the world. Now is a perfect time since you have money enough and it'd last more in many other countries.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#5

Post by hyperhello » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 1:51 AM UTC

Don’t have an existential crisis, because you’re thirty and it’s not the time. Right now you need to be recharged as much as possible so you can seem to walk up to any situation as a “likely yes if possible”.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#6

Post by jmathai » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC

I would encourage you to explore professions that you might find more fulfilling. I had found myself in a similar situation as you.

Some ideas that I explored were working for a church or non profit, starting an interior design firm with my wife (she’s a designer), advising startups, etc.

2 years later, I’m advising a couple start ups, on the board of two non profits, and back in tech.

I’m not thrilled about being back in tech. But the other ways I’m spending my time help provide me balance.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#7

Post by Nicholas_C » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 2:38 AM UTC

Go to Latin America for a few months and think about what career would make me happy.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#8

Post by deepsun » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 3:56 AM UTC

Learn to fly hang gliders.

Travel cheap countries.

Make (more) kids.

Woodworking is always here. As is local politics. But you said you're not up to building something.

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#9

Post by purple-leafy » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:02 AM UTC

I also just quit a job, but on my own terms.

For me, I'm going to spend the next 6 months focusing on:

- Fitness and Eating right

- Baking bread

- Learning Spanish with my partner

- Travelling

- After 1 month, I'll pick up coding again - but for now my brain needs a big break. I have a few parked projects I want to revisit without the slot machine genies help

Just have a break from tech. It will still be here when you get back, look after yourself first. Just have the confidence that you will bounce back when you are ready. Thats what I'm telling myself.

If it doesn't work out, there are other careers, more to the world than computers

Re: Ask HN: 30, burnt out, with 6-10 months of runway. What would you do?

#10

Post by livinglist » Fri, Sep 04, 2026, 4:23 AM UTC

Go to countries with lower cost of living than where you are, travel around, avoid doom scrolling on the internet, and I think you will figure it out on the way.