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Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

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11–20 of 109 posts

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#11
First of all you mentioned two "unrelated" examples - one of which sounds like exactly the same thing in a different environment. Being a film maker is not a job either - I assume its like most creative industries and that 90% of the people who do it don't actually make a living wage. That's not to say don't do it but do think about what you are up to.

All of this suggests that its the moving on and not where you are moving too you are focused on.

Secondly - you don't sound like you have any dependants or responsibilities. So - best time in your life ever to make a move. (plus you can live for a year without income! Luxury!)

Thirdly there is never a best time to do anything. If you wait for all the conditions to be right you will still be working at the same job when you are 60 still hating every minute.

and lastly in general you get to pick one of a) safe or b) interesting in a job - it is very rare to get both immediately.

You are young and free - and if you can't pick (b) now you never will be able to. If you pick (b) now you can always go for (a) later or you will find a niche where your type (b) job acquires some safety

and ps. Corporate programming is totally rubbish for the most part in my experience and your feelings about the job are not the same as your feelings about software development.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#12
post #8

I did: http://www.publicstatic.net/2009/01/sure-change-jobs/ The biggest adjustment for me was money. I'd gotten so used to buying whatever I wanted (not large things) that I had some money trouble early on. But I'm back to programming now. I love it.

interesting story, thanks for sharing it.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#13
I was thinking of doing exactly this years ago. I sold my Infiniti, bought a used station wagon that cost half as much, and was going to put my self through massage school in Ohio with the proceeds.

A consulting job came up in Houston, and I've been "distracted" from this goal ever since.

I am again unemployed, and I too have about a year's worth of float time. The corporate world is pretty egregious at times. Human social dominance mechanisms are necessary for regulating large organizations, but they shouldn't be the primary focus of one's corporate existence. Unfortunately, they are just that for most organizations.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#14
I'm really just a mediocre programmer with really good domain knowledge

Your problem is that you have no problem. Let me explain...

I believe that the "quality" of a programmer is not how much you know, but what you can do with it. So it you have "really good domain knowledge", then you probably aren't a mediocre programmer at all, you're probably a good programmer or even better.

Like many other hn'ers, I love to come here are check out the latest cool stuff people are doing. Then I hear the 2 voices in my head. One says, "That is so cool - I have to learn that!" The other says, "Big deal, I could do that in BASIC. I may need a few more lines of codes and a couple of hacks, but it will still do the exact same thing."

It's tricky to balance all the cool stuff going on with your ability to just get stuff done. You will never learn everything. You will never become the expert at more than one or two things. It's great to learn, but not at the expense of doing. You need both. There were many times I had to build something with my limited knowledge and wished I knew more. But then I built it anyway. Something built with limited resources today is better than something built perfectly tomorrow.

If you're unhappy with your job but like coding, then either find another job or start something on the side. But please don't fall into the trap that you aren't good enough because someone else knows something more. That will always be the case. You can't win that battle.

Just do the best with what you have and make a practice of adding to it a little at a time. Get satisfaction from the benefits you provide others with what you know now.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#15
I don't hate software, but my job has made me realize that I'm really just a mediocre programmer with really good domain knowledge

You seem like a prime candidate for promotion to management or a more analytical role. Is this a possibility or something you can work toward?

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#17
Not seriously. I like coding. But when I don't get to do it . . . I go a little nuts and have had thoughts about just getting out. This is usually related to poor working environment fit for my personality and personal goals. I think it is common, particular for corporate devs, to struggle with these types of feelings.

I have, by accident and plan (lack of knowing the effects), wound up in a similar place to what you describe. More directly, I have developed a marketable, but big corporate-focused skill set (RDBMS, Oracle, MS SQL Server, DB2 . . . ).

This is OK for now, it works for my geographic region, my family, and so far has been low-risk from the "I have a well paying job" perspective, but is completely unsatisfying career-wise from a challenging growth perspective. I've recently turned down one much higher-paying job than I have now and am struggling with a similar decision at this point for another job. My main fear is that the new offer represents "more of the same" and this website, PG's essays, and a number of other sources have poisoned me forever against living in my safe corporate cube in happiness.

Not that this will help how you feel much, but having really good domain knowledge probably has the effect of making you much more valuable than just a "mediocre programmer." Think about those guys that got YC funding, they were teaching themselves to program to implement their idea (can't remember the group, Jessica mentioned them in a Mixergy interview). It's not like they were super-hackers at that point or anything.

If I had your flexibility to quit and move, I'd try to hook up with one of the startups that float around this forum. I read a number of comments that make me think many of them are small with smart people who want hackers looking to push themselves hard and build stuff in a fun way. Could be fun, sounds like you don't need to make much in the way of money, maybe you can just sleep on the floor at the apt office.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#18
I did, I got so burnt out (see other posts in my profile) that I left. I started a Hardwood flooring business. It was the only way to keep my earnings close to where I was at, at the time. While I loved doing the work, it was a disaster. I had people that would not show up for work, customers that did not like the look of certain boards. Anyway, I came to see that I just traded problem sets and quickly went back to development. Some people get out and are real happy with doing so, for me I took drastic measures for a problem that was simple to resolve. Unfortunatly, it took reflecting back for me to see it.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#19
I left programming in 2004-2005 to work at a skateboard company. I filmed and edited videos and went skateboarding for a year. It was great. I also only made $8000 the entire year, most of it from fixing the company's web site, so I returned to programming.

Re: Ask HN: anyone ever drop everything and leave software dev behind?

#20
I was in your shoes 3 years ago. I thought I would leave software dev entirely if I ever left the company I was working for. Turns out I only hated the company I worked for and loved software dev - went out on my own contracting for several years then recently signed with a fantastic company.
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