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Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

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Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#1
I love building and working - always have, always will. I've been programming for nearly 10 years, 5 of those professionally but the industry is literally destroying my soul and it has recently become crippling.

I've been in all kinds of jobs, from start-ups to massive corporate companies. I'm forever building my own side projects as I love it, as well as love the idea of making my own living but as you all know, side hustles don't make money over night.

I'm currently in a great job. By great job I mean, the money is really good, there's room to grow and the opportunities are endless... Yet I can't bare it. I can't bare the devs that go out of their way to work weekends without being asked, I can't bare the endless meetings, constant micromanagement, bringing the stress home to my family.

I don't know where or who to turn to. Can anyone relate?

Re: Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#2
I think most people here can. That's why, when people have enough money to retire, they DO retire, and not continue working. Work for most people is trading time and physical and mental health for money. In our profession, we got it better than most, but the underlying principle is still the same.

Also, there are definitely better and worse companies. I'm currently in the best job of my life (well paying, fully remote, very little meetings, no micromanagement, using interesting and cutting edge technology), but it took me 15 years to get there. The catch is that such companies don't have to hire that often (because people don't tend to leave them), so most openings at the market in any given moment are from shit companies where average tenure is 18-24 months and half of the staff has low-grade depression. The job market is essentially a market for lemons, unfortunately.

Re: Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#3
I had(have) the same problem but I'm successfully resolving it.

In the last 10 days I made more progress than 10 years combined before.

Why? Because I realized that the problem is inside of my mind. What is causing me to not finish/doubt my own projects?

There are many reasons, each unique to each persons's mind.

One must brutaly focus in on the specific reasons and resolve them.

The solution that is working for me: sit in front of PC, close my eyes, focus on the problem.

I am NOT talking about regular meditation. You have people who mediate hours for their entire life and get nowhere.

What DOES work is to bring and hold the problem in your mind and just let it "hover" there. Eventualy you will start getting random thoughts/ideas which will show you details about this thing and your reactions to it that you have never seen before.

Note that this can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. But very often I get many insights in a single 30 minutes session, many more than just one. But it's a bit random.

Basicaly it has to be active meditation.

I hold the problem in my mind and after 5, 15, 30...minuts solutions start popping in.

Listening to Jiddu Krishnamurti is what "pushed me over the edge" to realize that sitting down alone in a quite room and examine your mind is the only way forward.

Your problems will be specific to you.

In short, you need to figure out what is preventing you from monetizing and finishing your side projects.

This thing that is preventing you is in your mind.

You are uncertain. Uncertanty creates a "choice" in your mind.

You will then pick A over B, but because the uncertanty will still be there you will forever cycle between A and B, never commiting to each.

Address the source of the uncertanty. When you do that, the choice will dissapear and never bother you again.

The problem with this advice is that I cannot give you specific advice since you will have to figure out what is causing resistance in your mind against monetizing/commiting to your side projects.

Re: Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#6

I had(have) the same problem but I'm successfully resolving it. In the last 10 days I made more progress than 10 years combined before. Why? Because I realized that the problem is inside of my mind. What is causing me to not finish/doubt my own projects? There are many reasons, each unique to each persons's mind. One must brutaly focus in on the specific reasons and resolve them. The solution that is working for me:…

This is very speciffic advice, something I was struggling to put together clearly but felt it deep inside for years. Thanks for leaving this comment here!

Re: Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#8

> Yet I can't bare it. I can't bare the devs that go out of their way to work weekends without being asked Wait... You love programming but you can't stand those that code during the week-ends?

I belive his point is that he finds it bizzare how they give their lives to a company instead of their own interests.

Re: Ask HN: I love programming but hate the industry. Can anyone relate?

#9

> Yet I can't bare it. I can't bare the devs that go out of their way to work weekends without being asked Wait... You love programming but you can't stand those that code during the week-ends?

There’s a difference between programming for fun on personal projects etc in your own time vs. doing work without compensation. Working overtime for free is not only allowing your employer to steal from you, but sets unreasonable expectations on all of your colleagues, too.
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