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Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

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Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#81

Post by pkaye »

UK-AL wrote: post #36
yeukhon wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this may backfire even more. Sure there are stories about how one can get by as a manager without knowing much or doing much, but that's rare. As a manager you have to answer to your boss and make sure team delivery is met. You will need to do budget and stay current with what's happening at work, so that you don't become clueless in meetings. This can be stressful at work since politics is inevitable.

Yes, but all these things are "bigger picture" stuff. It's not trying to comprehend 1000 little things at the same time using deep concentration, as a software developer does.

Speaking from my own experience it can still be a challenge because you have to context switch a lot and never go deep enough to truly understand a problem. You are relying on your engineers to be your eyes and ears. If you have all good people in your team you are really lucky. Otherwise it is a balancing game coaching some engineers to learn and get better, quickly figuring out solutions to technical problems that are raised, fighting back the upper management pressure while not trying to frustrate your team.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#82

Post by mpfundstein »

stankot wrote: post #19

Sorry to hear that. Personally, if I ever get to leave IT before retirement, I plan to equip a workshop and start making electric guitars. It connects various craftsmanship skills with some engineering and art. And the best part is, end product is a instrument. Unfortunately, this is not the best career choice where I live in (Eastern Europe). Although if you are good, you could make a living out of it. At least I wo…

with your it skills you can easily go global. make a great website with a customization widget or twitch the making of a guitar. lots of possibilities to distinguish yourself

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#83

Post by cousin_it »

tylerlarson wrote: post #76

Become an artist. Don't make art based on your expression of your feelings or whatever. Take it on like you would a startup. Create things you think will sell and based on what works iterate quickly. Make lots of work, sell it at cost and increase your price as you refine your process. You can involve computers in the process of creating work. Things like conceptual art doesn't even have to involve any artistic skill…

Great perspective! If I ever go into art, that's how I'll do it. That wouldn't even feel like selling out, because what makes my teenage self's taste (which defines what I'm driven to create by default) any more valid than other people's tastes today?

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#84

Post by pkaye »

germs12 wrote: post #2

What illness does this?

Pretty much any serious illness can do this. I've dealing with the effects of an autoimmune disease. Other than my slowly worsening condition, I have sat in meetings wondering...how long can I live a normal life...how will I take care of my family if I'm not around... That pesky software bug I'm asked about seems so trivial compared to the health problems I'm dealing with.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#85

Post by jdormit »

balabaster wrote: post #47
jcater wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you expand on the "school" part? This sounds fascinating. Are you training other would-be farmers on organic methods?

Yes, we have classes for various bits. The thing is, most people aren't going to want to take on the whole shebang - at least, not off the hop. Some might just want a "how to keep a couple of plants alive long enough to get fruit?" or "what do I need to know to be able to keep 3 chickens in my back yard?" type lessons. There are so many small aspects to farming that are overwhelming hurdles to people that just teachi…

I love the about page on your website! It's very inspiring.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#86

Post by libertine »

taway_1212 wrote: post #74
danschumann wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As Elon Musk put it, ~"Managers receive the greatest distillation of all the problems. They have the worst job" They are the ones expected to solve the hardest problems. If someone can't figure it out, it gets pushed up the chain.

Managers only hear about problems which extend past our team. On the other hand, if I have to spend a whole day chasing an esoteric dependency conflict in our uber-jar, the manager won't be involved in it (and it's probably more annoying and mentally taxing than coordinating work with people on other teams). Btw there is an interesting trend in London where individual contributors (at least in Big Data) are paid more…

You can't say something is more annoying or mentally taxing then other thing, just because you think so - and that surelly doesn't reflect on what some are paid (that's just supply and demand).

At the end of the day the problems you find on the technical side only reflect in resources spent - human resources, time, budgets... beyond some level - usually the managers level and above, that's what matters and the only thing that counts.

In a lot of organizations the technical side is literally in a bubble, doing their thing and protected from the chaos of dealing with ignorants, burocracy and shit.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#87

Post by balabaster »

jdormit wrote: post #85
balabaster wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, we have classes for various bits. The thing is, most people aren't going to want to take on the whole shebang - at least, not off the hop. Some might just want a "how to keep a couple of plants alive long enough to get fruit?" or "what do I need to know to be able to keep 3 chickens in my back yard?" type lessons. There are so many small aspects to farming that are overwhelming hurdles to people that just teachi…

I love the about page on your website! It's very inspiring.

Thanks

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#88

Post by balabaster »

PaulRobinson wrote: post #75
balabaster wrote: post #33

My side project is an organic farm school. I raise pigs, cows, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits and grow organic produce. It doesn't require much concentration. You might think this is a huge reach from I.T. but it still requires a lot of problem solving skills and discipline. It doesn't require the same kind of concentration, but you find out very quickly that the concentration it does take is engaging. It holds your…

I have considered farming in the past, quite seriously. I think bringing an engineering/scientist mindset to it might be a distraction, but it might also actually help me stay interested in what looks like otherwise very tough work. Farmers have moderately high suicide rates: isolation, hard work, long hours, and the inability to just stop, as you state. I read your account - and have read many others like it - and i…

Bringing an engineering/scientist mindset isn't a distraction - it's often a godsend. Another tool in your belt. It gives you an ability to research, to understand, to figure things out. It puts you streets ahead of a lot of farmers.

You don't need to be isolated nor put in long hours. But it's more work than I should perhaps have described as "a side project." If I made it my full time job and quit programming for a living, I'd probably be able to say it was only a part time job relatively quickly.

The hard work and inability to just stop are inescapable. You need to be aware of that going in. As the quote about surfing big waves from Point Break goes "You can't just call time-out and stroll on into the beach if you don't like the way things are going" much as I sometimes wish I could.

The peace of mind and living in harmony with your surroundings is good for your soul though. It definitely makes you more aware of living in the moment and having backup plans.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#89

Post by hanxue »

Quit my job as a system architect / software engineer and pursuing martial arts and spiritual cultivation full time in China.

I don't plan to give up IT for good. Having been in the industry for 10 years, I know I must follow my heart to be happy and be a well-adjusted person.

Re: Ask HN: What job did you leave IT for?

#90

Post by taway_1212 »

libertine wrote: post #86
taway_1212 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Managers only hear about problems which extend past our team. On the other hand, if I have to spend a whole day chasing an esoteric dependency conflict in our uber-jar, the manager won't be involved in it (and it's probably more annoying and mentally taxing than coordinating work with people on other teams). Btw there is an interesting trend in London where individual contributors (at least in Big Data) are paid more…

You can't say something is more annoying or mentally taxing then other thing, just because you think so - and that surelly doesn't reflect on what some are paid (that's just supply and demand). At the end of the day the problems you find on the technical side only reflect in resources spent - human resources, time, budgets... beyond some level - usually the managers level and above, that's what matters and the only t…

Yeah, that's why I stepped down from being a PM to writing software. I personally prefered the crappy codebase, failing build envs., slow cluster, the boredom and mental exhaustion to having to deal with people in a corporate setting. I'm just not cut for that.
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