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Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

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Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#51

Post by daniel_reetz »

kurthr wrote: post #38
quasse wrote: post #5

This is exactly what I did. After graduate school (focused on the wireless networking space) I was really burned out on software development. Important context is that my undergraduate degree was in mechanical engineering, even though I ended up moving straight into CS afterwards. I found a job as a machine design engineer at a company that designs computer controlled milling machines and I've loved it ever since. 90…

If you're willing to code firmware, there are also a number of jobs related to prototype building and "design". People need someone to build their CES demos. This is far more likely to get your hands dirty making actual functional systems, without all of the supply chain ODM and contract manufacturing complexity. You'll learn the importance of using good connectors and blinky debug lights. Stanford has a Design Divis…

Yep. I quit my job at Megacorp Inc to do exactly this, and it's been rewarding. I can't tell you how restorative it is to spend time alone in the workshop, solving problems one after another, and making real, functional stuff. I left a lot of wealth behind in the form of RSUs/TC, but no RSUs can buy what I have now.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#53

Post by wy35 »

I'd like to do some hardware stuff as a hobby. Interacting with the real world is starting to sound a lot more fun than interacting with APIs.

The problem is that I'm not sure where to start. Software was easy -- I'd make some toy games, or write a script to automate something. Hardware is less obvious -- there's nothing physical that's immediately fun or automatable in my life.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#54

Post by carabiner »

tekno45 wrote: post #45
carabiner wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's fun until you have to rework the same part for the 20th time that day and your back is aching after driving into work at 6 am.

CNC machining would save your back a lot of pain right? I just watch youtube videos about it so idk how bad it gets. Manual machining seems cool as a hobby but CNC is what im interested in.

It would. Our CNC guys (mostly wire EDM) were technicians though who loaded programs and monitored the machines. They didn't write the code or translate the CAD into instructions or design anything; that's what the desk engineers did. I don't think you'll find the end-to-end tinkering experience of code + handson in any established manufacturing environment. It's too risky, each side requires specialized skills. You might find it at a startup though.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#55

Post by neilpanchal »

I did it both ways. I was working in semiconductor industry as a Mech Eng for 8 years, slowly drifted towards software in my own time and at work. Switched to Software engineering officially at a quantum computing startup, built Fab software, managed databases, worked on wafer layout tools, wrote APIs, front end apps, metrology interfaces. I switched back to Hardware engineering (with some FPGA dev) in the space industry 6 months ago.

Overall, I was impressed by how modern software is built, engineering that goes into it and satisfaction from immediate gratification. I had amazing mentors. Since I am back to Hardware, things appear a lot slower, but having a software background is huge. I have working knowledge of the entire stack from load balancers to interface arbitrators at the FPGA level. I can design PCBs to database schemas. I honestly feel like I can build anything and everything.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#56

Post by fistynuts »

idiotsecant wrote: post #28

Don't do it. There's a reason there's way more EE and ME trying to get into pure software than the other way around. Software jobs are generally better quality of life, (way) better pay, better work location and time flexibility, and way-way-way less cat herding, logistics, and interaction with less technical parts of the business. Engineers are frequently overworked, unappreciated, and desk-bound.

Software engineering is the most desk bound job in existence.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#57

Post by phtrivier »

Good luck in your endeavors.

Tangential : the more I study early era scientist, the more it baffles me how some of the greatest discoveries in mankind were made by people who had the luxury of not equating an intellectual pursuit with a breadwinner.

Thinks pre-revolutionnary french aristocrats.

Burn out with chemistry ? Let's just switch to revolutionize physics, and then we'll have a party.

Can't wait for some society to find some modern way of that.

We need a way to enable polymath again.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#58

Post by jeffreyrogers »

I sort of did this. I went from a software job building web applications to working on radio hardware. The parts I worked on were the FPGAs that did the signal processing. I didn't do any of the board layout or PCB design, but I had to read the schematics and understand how to interface with various things on the board. It was interesting, but I found the work frustrating and the iteration time very long. I eventually went back to software and am happy with that choice.

Here are my thoughts:

- The grass is always greener on the other side. Other engineering fields have their own problems, the work is not always exciting, and you will have to learn a lot to be productive.

- Consider pursuing your interests as a hobby. Outside of cutting edge stuff or things like civil or nuclear you can do most things on your own. And the cutting edge stuff no one is going to let you do for a long time because it typically requires a large organization to do and large organizations get large because they have specialists. Plus they are generally risk averse. You could maybe find a startup doing interesting stuff, but they don't have the money to spend on mentoring you/bringing you up to speed.

- You are giving up a lot of money by leaving software. If you want to do things like have a family, own a home, start a business of your own, you should consider sticking it out in software and finding fulfillment outside of work.

Edit: Maybe you just want something to do that isn't behind a screen. Consider getting more involved in things like cooking, hunting/shooting, or working on your car. Those hobbies (and others) all have aspects that require similar skills as the interesting parts of engineering. Maybe you can find find some of what you're looking for there.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone gone from software to physical engineering?

#59

Post by tekno45 »

bokohut wrote: post #50

Fortuitous timing for this ask and while I will presume you imply 'career change' my response is not to that degree yet here is my 2¢ for those that may find value. I have undertaken extensive learning in electrical and mechanical engineering in recent months but from an applied perspective as I am dogfooding my own ideas after calculating that my recently installed PV system will be producing far more energy than I…

This is the path i see for myself.

Learning engineering so i can do my own projects. Funding it with software jobs. But its so hard to get space for projects...

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