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I've walked away from software development

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Re: I've walked away from software development

#181

Post by giantg2 »

vbsteven wrote: post #82
giantg2 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I'm the kind of person who takes the most important unclaimed tasks - which are often unclaimed because they're unpleasant." I feel you. I've always been one to fill the gaps on the team. You need someone to learn this new tech/process/etc - sure, I'll do it. It's hurt my career. Now I'm 9 years in and I'm not an expert in anything (anything that matters - they outsourced the tech/system I was an expert at), just av…

You can spin that around to a positive if you want to. I'm in a similar situation where I know just enough about a lot of things and that is my strength. I can be assigned to pretty much anything tech related which means I see a lot of different projects and roles (as a freelancer) which keeps things exciting for me instead of burning out after 6 months on the same mobile app with the same tech stack and the same peo…

I guess I just suck

Re: I've walked away from software development

#182

Post by wpietri »

giantg2 wrote: post #47
wpietri wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just for the record, I don't hate my job. I suspect many others don't. There's a saying that I recommend: either change your organization or change your organization. I'm sad for this guy that he let the fat checks keep him in misery until he burnt out on the work. I get how it happens, but I don't think it's a good trade. I hope he finds his way back to health.

I would love to burn out with fat checks. It beats burning out on average (non SV) checks. At least one can retire earlier.

Having burnt out long ago on doing sysadmin work, I don't recommend it. It was bad for me at the time, and in some ways I'm still paying the price. What's the point in having a miserable life and then a miserable retirement because you've broken yourself and your relationships?

Re: I've walked away from software development

#183

Post by giantg2 »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #178
giantg2 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, wife and kid. Wife won't contribute financially and refuses to move to a lower cost area. She also complains about our 1800sqft house being too small. Not sure how I ended up in such a bad situation... oh wait, it all changed once we got married. Damn legal documents.

It doesn't seem like your job is your primary problem, tbh. You should consider couples' counseling. Or even just seeing a therapist solo.

With financial independence the other problems would no longer be issues.

Re: I've walked away from software development

#184

Post by burnthrow »

giantg2 wrote: post #179
burnthrow wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Need way more than 9 years for it to really get into your bones and fuck with your head

I don't think you can reliably stereotype like that. I'm completely fucked. I'm basically on bad day away from ghosting my job and living off the dime of you working people.

Oh my, you might quit your job

Re: I've walked away from software development

#185

Post by rootbear »

hasmolo wrote: post #29
jpmattia wrote: post #18

In the middle of the rant on burnout, he says: > I'm sick of everyone being on Adderall. Is that really a thing? ie What proportion of software folks are using it?

it’s a lot higher than you might expect but i don’t think it’s endemic to software at this point. there’s a bit of a cultural shift around mental disorders and the old stigma attached. i’ve seen a lot of people i know, from preschool teachers to principal scientists, get an ADD or ADHD diagnosis in their later years. the acknowledgment of a disability is much easier now. all of that said, the use of adderal, vyvanse,…

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my fifties! I'd known I likely had it for some years, but the formal diagnosis came late. Alas, none of the meds I tried worked, or they had unacceptable side-effects. So I mostly rely on monitoring my own behavior and trying to establish good habits. The results are mixed.

Re: I've walked away from software development

#187

Post by giantg2 »

burnthrow wrote: post #184
giantg2 wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you can reliably stereotype like that. I'm completely fucked. I'm basically on bad day away from ghosting my job and living off the dime of you working people.

Oh my, you might quit your job

... and lose my house, live on food stamps, etc

Re: I've walked away from software development

#188

Post by treis »

TravHatesMe wrote: post #149
treis wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>My most hated thing about the industry: the amount of people who do not give a shit. This is why they're not burned out. And IMHO, this sounds a lot like sour grapes. To be rewarded for good work your management needs to know you're doing good work. For them to know you're doing good work you need to tell them. This is just a basic fact of life. And it's not super hard. You just need to maintain a relationship with…

> This is why they're not burned out. So your solution is to just not give a shit like everyone else? The reason that I've become so good at my craft is by giving a shit. The reason that my projects always succeed is because I give a shit. Not giving a shit puts a ceiling on your career as a developer. Not giving a shit will prevent you from learning. The irony in my situation is that I am investing in myself by doin…

>So your solution is to just not give a shit like everyone else

I'd say give a sustainable amount of shit directed at tasks rewarded by management.

You shouldn't see your coworkers as different from you. They're just further along the path to enlightenment. The ending points of this path are effectively:

(1) Finding work that you're passionate about and pays

(2) Finding work that allows you to do something you're passionate about

Unfortunately the opportunities for (2) are far more abundant than the opportunities for (1). The lucky/smart/motivated ones can attain it. For the rest of us there's just (2).

You're climbing burnout mountain now. At the top of that is a long slide called Midlife crisis that ends in the valley of enlightenment.

Re: I've walked away from software development

#189

Post by treis »

MattGaiser wrote: post #65
ryandvm wrote: post #48

I think all of us 40+ folks are in the same place. When we first started we didn't mind the bullshit so much because we were too dumb to realize how much there was. Then we got older and, yeah, it's ridiculous, but we were pretty decent at surfing the bullshit waves so we still didn't mind so much. Now you're in your 40s and the real obligations of life have started piling up. You've gone from 7 hours of free time a…

> Oh, by the way, it's December, so we need you to watch that 45 minute security training video again so you don't accept USB flash drives from strangers in the parking lot. The ability to mute a tab and have it run in the background is at times a beautiful thing.

I'm always amazed by how long it takes some people to go through these. Just press next as fast as possible to get to the quiz at the end. The questions are always like:

A stranger offers you a free USB stick in the parking lot do you:

A) Put it in the nearest electrical outlet

B) Stick it up your butt

C) Start a fire in your trash can and cast it in

D) Report it to corporate security at extension xxx, notify your manager, and warn coworkers not to use them

Re: I've walked away from software development

#190

Post by pavel_lishin »

mmcgaha wrote: post #34
jpmattia wrote: post #18

In the middle of the rant on burnout, he says: > I'm sick of everyone being on Adderall. Is that really a thing? ie What proportion of software folks are using it?

The addreall comment blew me away too. When did smart people start taking PEDs? My guess is that software development is a field where it is more common for folks with the ADHD hyperfocus to excel, but if there is a problem brewing it should be addressed.

Being smart doesn't make you immune to medical conditions.

But yes, there is also an issue with abusing these things. I don't know anyone who does this anymore, but I also don't work in a particularly fast-paced environment, nor do most of my friends.

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