Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#11

Post by romanovcode » Mon, May 08, 2017, 2:18 PM UTC

You can be a contractor. This way politics will not matter/touch you since you are on-off type of employee anyway.

Even if you build your own company there still will be a lot of politics. And I don't really see how it is "get out of tech" related. You can hate and ignore politics all you want, but the politics won't ignore you.

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#12

Post by milquetoastaf » Mon, May 08, 2017, 2:48 PM UTC

Work as a contractor, charge a lot of money - more than you feel comfortable saying out loud but say it anyway. That way, you can work for shorter spurts and just focus on getting shit done. Then, take the minimum amount you need to sustain / enjoy life and donate the rest to either a well-regarded charity or re-invest it in your community.

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#13

Post by spcelzrd » Mon, May 08, 2017, 3:55 PM UTC

The real trick here is lower pay. I don't find meaning in my work life. It exists just to fund my art life.

A close friend left his job to start his own tech consulting company. He loves working for himself. Even if it's the same pay, he gets immense satisfaction knowing all his work is for his company.

What would you consider changing people's lives? Teaching? Solving problems in your community? Inventing a life-saving medical device?

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#14

Post by JSeymourATL » Mon, May 08, 2017, 5:03 PM UTC

A couple of Stanford Professors have a good framework for thinking about this very thing, Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You.

NY Times review > https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/fashion/design-thinking-s...

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#15

Post by dyeje » Mon, May 08, 2017, 6:36 PM UTC

If you're looking to start a business to avoid corporate politics then boy are you in for a surprise.

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#16

Post by la_fayette » Mon, May 08, 2017, 6:47 PM UTC

Start a community garden and try to be self sustainable.

You could work on permaculture, terra preta, open source ecology and what not.

Build a community teach your knowledge. This propably changes a lot for the local community.

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#17

Post by Mz » Mon, May 08, 2017, 9:06 PM UTC

If you are planning to bootstrap something, you might be interested in joining this group:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/business-bootstrappe...

If you want to do something in the health tech space, you might be interested in joining this one:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/health-techies

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#18

Post by istorical » Mon, May 08, 2017, 10:36 PM UTC

Smaller companies have less politics.

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#19

Post by cottonseed » Tue, May 09, 2017, 2:17 AM UTC

Obligatory link to The Gervais Principle: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...

Re: Ask HN: I need career advice to get out of tech

#20

Post by joeclark77 » Tue, May 09, 2017, 4:54 PM UTC

I think there's opportunities in manufacturing high quality goods, "made in USA", even in small quantities. Tools, knives, furniture, machines... things that will last. Check out reddit's r/BuyItForLife/ -- a forum for people looking for the best quality stuff. Read "Shop Class as Soulcraft" -- with the skilled trades there's a lot less BS, a lot less politics, because there are honest objective standards for good and bad performance.

This is what I've been thinking about for my own life, anyway. YMMV.