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Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

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Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#91

Post by ponector »

tomrod wrote: post #28
itsthecourier wrote: post #4

used to see 80-100 lines of good code per programmer. seeing up to 2400 lines a day in 4 hours of deep work. LLMs will greatly reduce the amount of people required, mainly seniors. erode the path for junior training and put further pressure in an industry continually contracting since 2021. the amortization of software developing as R&D expense among many years implemented by the IRS didn't help either

I think the amortization is the primary issue, TBH.

I don't think so. Downturn is global, but amortisation issue is for a local market.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#92

Post by alexgieg »

I imagine this won't help right now, as you and everyone else need work immediately, but for the future I'd suggest you research opening a small software development business with other programmers or, even better, a cooperative. This requires learning business management, and assuming risks, but as you see it isn't like normal job really provides security.

The main advantage is that under this arrangement the people who are your bosses, or otherwise rule over that you do, in a normal corporate job, such as sales people and accountants, become your employees and have to answer to you and your peers. Technical merit and knowledg becomes the driving force, not fantasy sales pitches and bean counting.

The main downside, besides the business risk, is likely going to be lower pay. But you'll be doing what you find valuable, so you'll have much higher enjoyment at what you do.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#93

Post by DracheZahn »

After 35 years in tech and 10 years with the same company, today is my last day at a Fortune 100 tech firm. I left voluntarily with no new job lined up.

Never felt so relieved.

I realized that the depression I was experiencing was caused entirely by leadership, not my job. No matter which products I worked on, the same feelings of depression and ultimately loathing of the environment and process kept returning.

Don't get me wrong. My employer is world-class, and the benefits were amazing, but the software development and engineering culture are destroying their employees.

A sabbatical to rethink my career is in order.

I've saved for the past 20 years and realized that unless I take time now, I might never have the real opportunity to enjoy life the way I’ve dreamed. I now have two years of savings set aside, so we will see where life takes me. I might work for myself or simply step down from technology development into a new role.

Modern software engineering is killing its employees. Global teams across time zones working from 5:00am to 10:00pm., on projects that aren’t even mine—just because someone else left and needed someone competent to pick up the slack and carry the project to completion. Leaders overpromise and commit to deadlines without even asking if the solutions are feasible. Being reprimanded when you push back and say that the solution they just promised isn’t realistic or even possible.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#94

Post by MongooseStudios »

DracheZahn wrote: post #93

After 35 years in tech and 10 years with the same company, today is my last day at a Fortune 100 tech firm. I left voluntarily with no new job lined up. Never felt so relieved. I realized that the depression I was experiencing was caused entirely by leadership, not my job. No matter which products I worked on, the same feelings of depression and ultimately loathing of the environment and process kept returning. Don't…

I think we're going to see more of this. The general result of all the RIF/outsourcing seems to still be that the onshore employees workload increases and they burn out.

I'm genuinely glad that you said enough is enough. I hope you go make something rad and never need to go back to that world.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#95

Post by DracheZahn »

DracheZahn wrote: post #93

After 35 years in tech and 10 years with the same company, today is my last day at a Fortune 100 tech firm. I left voluntarily with no new job lined up. Never felt so relieved. I realized that the depression I was experiencing was caused entirely by leadership, not my job. No matter which products I worked on, the same feelings of depression and ultimately loathing of the environment and process kept returning. Don't…

One more comment and a bit of advice for junior product and engineering staff. If someone else leaves, make it clear to your leadership that you cannot be expected to always pick up the slack. Don't get stuck in the cycle where leaders learn they can dump tasks on you and never backfill for the skill set. Becoming an essential team member will lessen your chances of getting promoted, and you will have very limited career change opportunities..

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#96

Post by MongooseStudios »

alexgieg wrote: post #92

I imagine this won't help right now, as you and everyone else need work immediately, but for the future I'd suggest you research opening a small software development business with other programmers or, even better, a cooperative. This requires learning business management, and assuming risks, but as you see it isn't like normal job really provides security. The main advantage is that under this arrangement the people…

I've been thinking really hard about it. Just gotta pay the bills until I can find something that works.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#97

Post by MongooseStudios »

kldg wrote: post #78

If you have the money, there's nothing wrong with quitting and doing your own thing for a while. Alternately, working for a fundamentally different kind of company can be rewarding. I found working at a small business (a sales company where tech was an afterthought) to be delightful and weird; everything was non-standard and many roles were just not hired for, but everyone's door was open and there's no bureaucracy,…

I wish I had "do my own thing for a while" money. Sounds like you found a nice place to still do something useful but catch your breath. I'm hoping I can find something similar.

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#98

Post by MongooseStudios »

danaris wrote: post #79

Come to academia. I don't mean "become a professor"; I mean be a software developer at a college or university. They need them in large teams (IT department of a larger university) down to solo devs (working for a single department at a small liberal arts college—this is where I've been for 15 years). It's true that you won't get the same level of pay—frankly, I've been woefully underpaid—but, by and large, they're n…

Do these jobs get posted in all the normal places, or is there somewhere else I should look?

Re: Ask HN: Is anyone else just done with the industry?

#99

Post by zazazx »

ativzzz wrote: post #88
tptacek wrote: post #3

Hi! I've been doing this since 1994 (I started in the industry instead of going to college). I feel this way approximately once every 7-8 years. What I think I've learned is that I make stupid decisions reacting to those feelings.

> I make stupid decisions reacting to those feelings. Yea it seems like the right thing to do is to step away and take a sabbatical to cool down, and then remember that we like money, and that it's just part of the game to get paid.

Keep playing a wicked game whose rules are stacked against you for the shiny trophy. I’ll see you in therapy in a few years.
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