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

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71–80 of 95 posts

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

#71
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's a coincidence I run into so many software engineers turn woodworker.

Could be any craft so long as you're coming up with the requirements yourself

i suppose, depends on the person and their interests. i found that woodworking is unique in that the builder benefits from building tools just like in software.

machining seems to be similar but i wonder if it's just more expensive.

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

#72
I think of it less than being fulfilled, but just sick of what others are doing and feeling is a good thing to do with "tech". Targeting, tracking, analyzing, etc just makes me sick to my core that some really bright people are fully engaged in making this shit "better". The entire cryptocoins and NFTs are also just fully vomit inducing to me as well. Now, it's the talent and tools being used to create DeepFakes. We're promoting creating fakes???WTF!! I met someone that was using AI/ML in medicine looking back at pre-existing scans to see if it might be possible to detect cancer earlier than what was/is currently available. That kind of stuff seems like viable expenditure of efforts. Creating video/images to fool other people that someone said/did something they didn't say/do is just absolute maximum creepy to me.

So yeah, I've often thought about not being involved in the same industry as these asshats.

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

#73
post #61

Yes. In the early '00s, I was unfulfilled doing web development and bored out of my mind. I went back to school hoping to get into more interesting tech. I got a bit sidetracked from that because I found immense pleasure in mathematics, but luck would have it, and I found my way to quantum computing through a colleague from my research group. So I didn't really leave tech; I got the credentials to migrate into "high…

Just curious, did you have an undergrad degree already?

No, I got into web development straight out of high school. I'd been taking community college courses through an early-entry program; took some programming classes, did some networking, so come Monday after high school, I had a job.

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

#74
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.

the horizontal aspect of software has samey caricatures that get boring as well. Most of it is web development. If you switch verticals but stay in the same horizontal zone of back end web development you're mostly doing the same stuff if it's web dev. Need to switch lanes both vertically and horizontally.

I guess it's not true for everyone, but I derive more satisfaction from the value of my end products rather than the code I write. Writing sexy code to help some Fortune 100 extract more rents doesn't do it for me. Updating legacy code for a product that creates actual value for human beings makes me feel pretty good.

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

#75

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?

I know of a guy who makes kitchens. Works three or four days a week, clears 300-500k a year.

But he’s a business - decades of experience and contacts and happy referring customers, a lot of money invested in equipment, and big upfront investment in materials for each job.

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

#77
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just curious, did you have an undergrad degree already?

No, I got into web development straight out of high school. I'd been taking community college courses through an early-entry program; took some programming classes, did some networking, so come Monday after high school, I had a job.

Ah, ok. I’ve been trying to go back for a while now, but the bureaucracy and rigidity of the education system, combined with some unique life circumstances have made it impossible so far. Universities don’t seem to want anyone who’s not a traditional student (unless ofc it’s a low income adult, that they can sell “useless” online degrees to) and community colleges treat me like a clueless teenager and want to hand hold every step of the way.

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

#79
sure I have! but it seems like tech is still the best bang for your buck career out there.

careers that pay more (medicine, law, finance) are meat grinders, cut-throat as fuck, hyper elitist (good luck getting into a top tier investment bank or law firm without going to an ivy league school) and require additional schooling.

more fulfilling careers (education, government, NGOs, etc.) are meat grinders, elitist, pay way less, and are exploited by people who worked in the careers listed above.

definitely talk to people IRL in other careers that you're considering before making the jump. it might be possible for you to coast on tech to fund something more fulfilling.

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

#80
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I got into web development straight out of high school. I'd been taking community college courses through an early-entry program; took some programming classes, did some networking, so come Monday after high school, I had a job.

Ah, ok. I’ve been trying to go back for a while now, but the bureaucracy and rigidity of the education system, combined with some unique life circumstances have made it impossible so far. Universities don’t seem to want anyone who’s not a traditional student (unless ofc it’s a low income adult, that they can sell “useless” online degrees to) and community colleges treat me like a clueless teenager and want to hand ho…

When I went back to school, I went to community college while freelancing to pay for it. I saw some of that hand-holding you refer to, but I discovered that after I was admitted (and took some remedial math because I'd blown that off in high school), it could largely be avoided. The university had an all-but guaranteed transfer program from community college; I satisfied the requirements and had a stellar GPA (versus "clueless teenagers," as you put it, go figure). Not a single step along the way was easy; but suffering the indignity of a bit of hand-holding wasn't the hard part. Tune out, smile, and do the paperwork. Make sure that you're meeting the actual requirements of the university you want to get into.

I'm the only person I know that both holds a PhD and went to community college. A non-standard resume like mine isn't great for getting jobs. Networking, networking, networking.

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