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Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#31

Post by nottorp »

bitwize wrote: post #25
nottorp wrote: post #8

Hmm. I've had friends stating they feel like going into something agricultural. But consider that on that idyllic countryside farm, you need to wake up at 5 to feed the cows on a fine summer day. Also on that stormy day when you have to wade through half a food of mud to the barn * . And also when the snow is up to your waist * . Another solution is using that income from your cushy tech job to get some fulfilling ho…

Even so I wonder if for you the farm will come out on top when a coworker tells you "shards are the secret ingredient in the web scale sauce". For those who haven't seen it, welcome to the lucky 10,000: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HdnDXsqiPYo

I don't speak web corporatese so I doubt I'll work in an organization like that any time soon...

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#33

Post by johns »

I had a base-hit acquisition and probably could have turned around and done another VC- or self-funded startup. The burnout was too much. After a hiatus I opened a bike shop this year. I can't imagine going back to writing software for money again (I still do it on the side).

Every bike industry vet I've talked to feels about bikes the way I feel about software. Broken industry, yada yada. Anything can wear you down.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#34

Post by mariogintili »

Yes, specially now

The new de-facto is to have an over politicsed and heavily dishonest employer.

My work is also seen as a quick commodity to turn around, thanks to Amazon's hire-to-fire schemes

I love programming but working as a software engineer is terrible. I'm becoming a small shop owner asap

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#35

Post by rob74 »

tootie wrote: post #4

It's important to understand that "tech" is mostly a "horizontal" part of the economy. Meaning it cuts across multiple "vertical" industries. You can do tech for retail, tech for finance, tech for media. Finding a new vertical to be part of can make a big difference. As can finding the right cohort of people to work with. But otherwise, the lack of fulfillment will likely follow you to whatever job you take.

That goes both ways: for a tech company in a given "vertical", it helps if you can find developers that are at least somewhat knowledgeable in (or interested enough to learn something about) the vertical. Not doing that can lead to a lot of friction and wasted time.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#36

Post by lotsofpulp »

cholantesh wrote: post #16
theshrike79 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of these people seem to be the ones who have done their FAANG stint and vested mid-6, low-7 figures so they can just hop off and start dallying in woodwork without a major loss in income.

I'm probably off-base here because I'm told i conflate woodworking and carpentry a lot, but isn't it a fairly well-paying profession?

Pay to quality of life at work ratio is more informative than nominal pay.

Tough to beat income earned by doing something with near zero chance of morbidity/mortality and bodily harm, the option to work from home, much higher demand in a much bigger market reducing volatility of at least a certain level of income, low personal liabilities, and vast opportunities for upward movement.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#37

Post by Strongbad536 »

Only every morning.

I'd love to be working/owning a bakery/coffeeshop/bookstore. Then I remember my salary as a level of my effort and what it affords me and my family and how much time I can spend with me kids.

And then I also remember that anything I like to do for fun now that I'd decide to turn into a job would likely become NOT fun as soon as it's a job.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#38

Post by p0pcult »

adamsmith143 wrote: post #9

Inb4 "No way I am just sooo fulfilled by improving ad targeting on a social media website."

Having left that slice of ad tech/market research: no one is fulfilled by it. Those who project the image that they are, are the most self-deceiving and self-hating.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#39

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

I love tech, but I am less-than-thrilled with the tech industry.

Best thing that ever happened to me, was being forced into early retirement, by reaching the doddering old age of 55.

I now write the software I want, and it has been working well for the last five years.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever considered leaving tech because you didn’t feel fulfilled?

#40

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

rob74 wrote: post #23
nottorp wrote: post #8

Hmm. I've had friends stating they feel like going into something agricultural. But consider that on that idyllic countryside farm, you need to wake up at 5 to feed the cows on a fine summer day. Also on that stormy day when you have to wade through half a food of mud to the barn * . And also when the snow is up to your waist * . Another solution is using that income from your cushy tech job to get some fulfilling ho…

The cow farmers of Bavaria (and Austria, and probably some other places too) had this figured out centuries ago already: they simply built the cow stable back-to-back with the main farm house, so no need to go outdoors to look after the cows and other livestock anymore. But you still have to get up in the wee hours of morning of course...

Of course, now your house stinks to high heaven, but at least you don't have to walk too far.
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