Ask HN: When should you quit?

I tried to think of new software ideas to work on but I really can't muster any energy to do it. I know there's ton of exciting new tech stuff going on but after 16 years I think I've had enough.

It's been a really interesting 6 years working on my own thing. But it was far too isolating. Too much mental health issue causing. And it's a zero sum game I'm realizing, one that is won by whoever can raise the most amount of money in the shortest time period.

I don't know maybe my head was too high in the clouds. But I'm turning 30, and I think it's time I quit and look for other things. I don't know anything else besides making software, and I feel so old to be trying something completely new. If I keep going I think it's going to drive me nuts. Even reading HN and Techcrunch these days I'm not even feeling excited or let alone interested.

I haven't had any success and all I've done was get taken advantaged of by crappy customers, worked for free for years, and yeah.

I know I'm not owed or entitled to anything. It was my decision after all to work on something alone for such a long time. And it was all for shit.

I even got a hold of investors but I just think it's too late. I should've taken money 6 years earlier, not now. I'm burnt out and can't do anything in front of the computer anymore. Like I just want to get away from computers permanently almost. I try to imagine what life was like before internet and computers and I don't fucking know and it scares me.

tl;dr: want to quit making software & tech but don't know where to turn.

I went back to college to take a business management degree and earned one. Thinking that I might do better as a manager. But since I have no experience as a manager, no luck in getting a job.

It is very hard to work on your own, and earn money. You need a team of people, you need investors, you need social and people skills. You need to market your product and SEO your website to get clients and customers.

I've worked on software projects that went nowhere because I couldn't get anyone interested in them.

I'm 47 now and figure my career is basically over. I could try Freelance after updating my skills to modern languages, build new projects and a portfolio, but I don't see the point when everyone else is doing that and there is a lot of competition.

You're assuming that there are more programmers than jobs, but at least for now there appear to be many more jobs than programmers.

You should quit when you write up a post like this and submit it to HN.

Go take a well deserved break to find yourself. Meditate, or do activities that you feel are meditative.

If you need a place to stay and rest, look to your friends/family.

If you have a business that needs to be taken care of, either sell it or hire someone to take over things like customer support, etc.

If you're feeling burnt out it means you need to take several months off because you haven't been taking care of yourself or doing the things that energize you.

I wish you the best of luck.

— Speaking as someone who went through this type of thing.