Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#251

Post by sigspec » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:00 PM UTC

pungentcomment wrote: post #42

I did this 15-20 years ago. I had a small internet/consulting business that I ran out of my house, with a full T1 mind you lol. Got tired of staring at the walls and tired of the f'king servers that chained me down. An error message from a server while in the car going on a small vacation triggered the change. I had enough. So on the spot I thought of my options and decided on becoming a trucker. My first aim was to…

This is my dream. Tell me more. Did you take classes? What was the investment. I feel chained to this desk.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#252

Post by qazxcvbnmlp » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:00 PM UTC

pungentcomment wrote: post #42

I did this 15-20 years ago. I had a small internet/consulting business that I ran out of my house, with a full T1 mind you lol. Got tired of staring at the walls and tired of the f'king servers that chained me down. An error message from a server while in the car going on a small vacation triggered the change. I had enough. So on the spot I thought of my options and decided on becoming a trucker. My first aim was to…

Intersting - I have a CDL, but would never go back to that lifestyle unless absolutely needed.

It is amazing how much of a difference physical movement on a daily basis will do.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#253

Post by gabereiser » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:02 PM UTC

Not exactly. I'm still in tech but I sold everything and bought a sailboat to sail the world after I got sick and tired of sitting at a desk. I have starlink now which makes it possible (before it was hunting for 4G/5G signals like I was the crocodile hunter) and sailboats can be pretty affordable if you want to sharpen your trade skills. I've "re-kindled" my love for woodworking, fiberglass, diesel engines, electrical, plumbing, home renovations, tax law, federal law, and even got some fishing in.

I think the expectations that you sit at a job for 40 years before you can live is old corporate propaganda to keep people working. The objective of working is to earn money, money to be spent living. Work to live. Don't live to work.

If you keep your skills sharp, you can always return when you have that passion again. Burn out doesn't last forever.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#254

Post by taylorhou » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:02 PM UTC

I've founded multiple startups (that have failed or had moderate success) and currently am bootstrapping at $5M ARR+. burnout is real and I've found a racquetball group out of my local fitness connection that plays 3x a week consistently and many players will coordinate in a whatsapp group to play even more.

The consistency and challenge of personally getting better/more skilled while being able to yell at the top of my lungs when I miss a shot helps relieve almost all of my pent up stress from work, family, life.

when I exit one day, i'm going into food truck business.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#255

Post by seanw444 » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:02 PM UTC

csmeyer wrote: post #63

walledstance wrote: post #24

Teaching. I moved from a big tech company to teaching. Teaching is the hardest job I’ve ever done, and requires entire new skills. Teacher pay, depending on where you are, can be real low compared to FAANG money, but damn do I sleep well at night knowing that I help people. There is nothing like watching someone struggle and then suddenly understanding the subject. But seriously, it is a hard job. You learn quickly t…

Also moved in to teaching high school CS. It's hard but the kids are great. I've found that it's a lot less about doing a great job explaining loops or whatever and more about mentorship and getting kids excited about the topic. If anyone's interested in making the switch my email is in my bio, I'd be happy to chat.

This is a great take. Having been a kid that was super intrigued by CS, the classes were more a formality, and a place to ask the few questions I couldn't put into words very easily for an internet search. Not to say classes weren't important, but I can definitely speak to it being more about getting kids intrigued than just going through the curriculum.

As a complete side note, I think it would have been easier to learn programming if I had started with some lower-level CS, not high-level programming. Some concepts behind even high-level programming don't make a lot of sense to a newbie unless they understand what the limitations of a machine are, and why they inherently exist.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#256

Post by Balgair » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:02 PM UTC

I switched from DoD to biotech.

It was a long journey, and a lot of hard work, and a lot of luck. But I've managed to 'make it' just fine. I'm much happier with the choice.

One tip is to really make the choice, don't have a foot in the 'old world', so to speak. If you decided to change, you've got to put in some barriers to going back, because when the new thing gets tough, you're going to want to go back.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#257

Post by gavinhoward » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:03 PM UTC

zaphod12 wrote: post #240

gavinhoward wrote: post #237

Got fired without warning from my first real programming job. It was probably personality differences with the company owner, but it did teach me that I am not built to work collaboratively on software. Became a school bus driver. Quit when the school district was asking me to drive in an unsafe way. (Too fast for my experience level.) Tried to become a helicopter pilot. The FAA grounded me for life. Now trying to st…

hold up...you can't just say 'FAA grounded me for life' without sharing something about that story! I've never heard of anything like it... Going straight to helicopters without flying airplanes first is not a typical path.

Medical issue.

https://gavinhoward.com/2022/09/grounded-for-life-losing-the...

I'm hoping that the pilot shortage will eventually allow me to apply again, with more good history, and get a medical.

I chose helicopters because that part of the industry is not as volatile, and I was making the transition during COVID when the airlines were struggling.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#258

Post by veryfancy » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:03 PM UTC

pyth0 wrote: post #180

inoffensivename wrote: post #169

I'm on a hiatus from tech after nearly 20 years at a FAANG, I'm now an airline pilot. The money sucks and the hours are long, but somehow the simplicity of the mission (go from A to B, don't bend any metal) appeals to me. Being able to switch the phone off after work, not having to worry about stupid office politics, planning, or performance reviews is quite liberating. The view from my office desk is unbeatable! I'm…

> not having to worry about stupid office politics, planning, or performance reviews You don't have performance reviews as a pilot? Maybe that should concern me next time I'm flying

Puts a different light on "demonstrating impact"

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#259

Post by ncr100 » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:03 PM UTC

mabbo wrote: post #233

mauvehaus wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's me! It also generated a rather large discussion here and if you want to read how things were going up to that point, I posted a lengthy comment there: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24541964 How am I doing now? Still good, still grateful to be married to somebody who gets good health insurance through their job. Still need to update my website a bit (is that work ever really done?). Still working on the…

I need you to understand that I think about this comment all of the time . Every time someone asks for something ridiculous, I think "I could be making furniture out of wood". I doubt that I am alone in that.

You are not alone @mabbo.

https://youtu.be/E0uRr_5zTQg

Follow what makes you happy. You don't get a second life. How long are you going to be dead.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?

#260

Post by 65 » Fri, Mar 03, 2023, 4:05 PM UTC

Has anyone tried freelancing part time as a developer while starting their new career?

I am considering freelancing so I can focus on making and selling shoes. I don't need to go all in on making shoes right off the bat, but having an extra 4 hours a day to do the non-tech thing I enjoy doing would be great. I would still be making enough money to cover the bills while I work on the new career.