Have things changed much in the industry since then? Perhaps more innovation and more standard code base tools and sharing?
I quit the tech industry (2015)
11–20 of 276 posts
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#12Quoted post unavailable.
I echo this sentiment. My "real life" has improved massively because of the fact that I work in technology. Money can't solve all your problems but there is a class of important problems that only money can solve effectively and tech. is a good way of making that money. I'm extremely grateful for this and wouldn't diss it.
On a more general level, the stress of working on multiple projects, dealing with different kinds of people, managing a team etc. all take their toll on a person but what kind of job doesn't? There's some amount of sacrifice that is necessary for any worthwhile endeavour. The trick is learning to manage it effectively.
A personal lesson I've learnt over the covid years is that being able to compartmentalise (or sometimes integrate) these different aspects of ones life effectively and not let one affect the others is a skill that's as vital as it's neglected. Dragging the doom and gloom of an extremely unpleasant client interaction back home to ones family is not acceptable. Physical barriers between different compartments of ones life are easy to build. Mental and emotional ones are harder but are equally if not more important. Nuclear fallout in one compartment shouldn't affect the flowers growing in another.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#13It's pays off to be rich. Not having to work is a luxury. I love money too much to simply take a year off, even if I could afford it. I would think about the opportunity cost the entire time. Maybe I just haven't had a proper burn out yet.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#14I sympathize and did the same thing earlier this year: I quit my job to try and strike out on my own. For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" and tell you how valuable your work is. Then, you realize all you do is grease the wheels of bureaucracy. Any serious attempts of asking the question "how would anything be different if I didn't do my work" only leads to depressing answers.
I've found the result of quitting to be a mixed bag. Yes, the work is more gratifying because it's "yours," but are you really impacting the world more? You're either building and replacing the bureaucracy that you hated, or you're just too insignificant to warrant the bureaucracy. Also, not being paid a ton of money really sucks.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#15“Rich kid cash stocks and stops working in tech to do whatever he likes”
Come on.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#16I think the picture of how he describes life and life-with-a-full-time-job is fairly accurate.
One solution is to work 80%. Or even 60%. You can still make plenty of money to support yourself, and you can be happy while doing it.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#17Quoted post unavailable.
I echo this sentiment. My "real life" has improved massively because of the fact that I work in technology. Money can't solve all your problems but there is a class of important problems that only money can solve effectively and tech. is a good way of making that money. I'm extremely grateful for this and wouldn't diss it. On a more general level, the stress of working on multiple projects, dealing with different kin…
Once you realize work is work and not some romantic endeavour, then things become easier. All I read from this guy's post is a lot of bitching about how the work he has to do is meaningless and hard and it is just getting in the way of his hobbies.
I once read a good line: Be thankful for all the problems out there otherwise you would be out of a job.
This guy is lucky he had the money to buy his way out of this situation. If he was forced to stay he would have found a way to cope and everything would have ended ok.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#18I sympathize and did the same thing earlier this year: I quit my job to try and strike out on my own. For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" and tell you how valuable your work is. Then, you realize all you do is grease the wheels of bureaucracy. Any serious attempts of asking the question "how would anything be different if I didn't do my work" only leads to depressing answers. I've found the resul…
My strategy is to work as long as I can and have to.
Have to means having no debt,.my own land and low living costs. Basically being independent. Then using my career to work 50% with a good salary remote.
If I would not do that, I would do the same as you and look for something good to work on.
For me I would go and find a company which does things for agriculture or other things which helps us all.
Working 40h feels wrong though.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#19In the next few years, I'm planning to go to 60% or 80% time, and then, eventually, to taking at least a couple of years off from engineering relying on savings and my spouse.
If I thought I had to be a line engineer making things for someone else forever, I'd probably have to quit just to regain some sense of control. It's good work if you can get it, but it won't be my forever.
Re: I quit the tech industry (2015)
#20I think the picture of how he describes life and life-with-a-full-time-job is fairly accurate. One solution is to work 80%. Or even 60%. You can still make plenty of money to support yourself, and you can be happy while doing it.
> […] the picture of how he describes life […]
AFAIK @eevee [1] identifies as she/her [2].