Live data from Hacker News

I quit the tech industry

eev.ee

71–80 of 565 posts

Re: I quit the tech industry

#71
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeh me and my kids will be paying for a long time for the worlds biggest banking (per capita) debacle and the destruction of the economy in the 00s by various governments. With kids its sort of hard to leave :( Tho' it is a nice place to live despite all the carry on. But hey look over there at the news yet another multinational setting up to launder/funnel money onto somewhere warmer and seems like a housing bubble…

Set up a trust or a separate management company that cannot be easily sued (only one client: your other business). If for some reason Irish tax law doesn't work for this case, you can probably set up a foreign owned management company or quality assurance company. Another option is to buy business insurance for lawsuits, though really do you research and record the call you have with the rep because he will promise y…

Yeh the problem is you do not want to cross Revenue, they do assume your are guilty and you have to prove your innocence when it comes to tax matters. Best if possible not do anything which they might interpret as dodgy.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#73
post #21

After reading on HN about the miners in England yesterday, it's difficult to generate too much sympathy for your situation. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9677863 I hope that you translate your passion into using technology to truly help make the world a better place.

I thought the same thing... first world problems in its essence.

So just because someone has it worse you have to enjoy your job? Doesn't work like that.

What the OP realised is that money is no good if chasing it wrecks your time. Is he lucky to be able to choose another way? Yes, but that doesn't make his decision any less valid.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#74

This is what burnout looks like. Unless Yelp has a toxic work culture, it's likely the author brought it on themselves by pushing too hard. After several months, the author will probably start thinking about work again, and begin the job search once more. Not to say that the author's points are invalid; it's a terrible feeling to have to spend your most productive hours working on someone else's problems. He or she m…

Generally speaking, if you have to pay people to do it, there is something nasty about the work. It's strenuous or dangerous or dirty or degrading or stressful or boring. If it were actually fun, people would be doing it for free. (Exceptions, anyone?) We programmers are quite lucky. At its worst our work is only frustrating. And we are well compensated, usually. Don't get me wrong; programming itself can be lots of…

Do you think tax returns and complying with other bureaucracy is fun?

There are myriad reasons why people form firms and a body of literature around it. Start with Coase's Nature of the firm :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nature_of_the_Firm

Re: I quit the tech industry

#75

This is what burnout looks like. Unless Yelp has a toxic work culture, it's likely the author brought it on themselves by pushing too hard. After several months, the author will probably start thinking about work again, and begin the job search once more. Not to say that the author's points are invalid; it's a terrible feeling to have to spend your most productive hours working on someone else's problems. He or she m…

Generally speaking, if you have to pay people to do it, there is something nasty about the work. It's strenuous or dangerous or dirty or degrading or stressful or boring. If it were actually fun, people would be doing it for free. (Exceptions, anyone?) We programmers are quite lucky. At its worst our work is only frustrating. And we are well compensated, usually. Don't get me wrong; programming itself can be lots of…

> Generally speaking, if you have to pay people to do it, there is something nasty about the work.

I don't believe this is true. Almost all people need to earn money to live a reasonable lifestyle, society as it is.

Considering the number of hours in the day: enjoyable, non-nasty tasks may be off the radar unless they are paid.

I feel like what you are saying is an excuse for employers to treat employees poorly. "We're paying you, so..."

It doesn't have to be this way.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#76
post #51
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try this calculator, in the last few years taxes have increased a lot. Also keep in mind if you are a director of a company (Startup etc) you lose a good chunk of your tax credits Anyways to answer your question, play around with calculator http://download.pwc.com/ie/budget-2015/index.html A single 30 year old (average age of HNers?) earning €100K will receive €58,869 after all the income taxes From this money he/she…

And? I would still consider it pretty reasonable tax for Europe. My relatives are paying 60% taxes from ~€15,000 salary.

I'm surprised. Where do they live?

Re: I quit the tech industry

#77

It's sad to me that the industry is pushing out so many great people because they feel so disenfranchised by it. I believe technology is one of the most potent forces of good in the world but for that to sustain, a culture has to develop around it with a deep desire to solve serious, large problems. I attended my first (and last) Hackathon a couple of weeks ago because it was immigration themed and so I thought I cou…

> I believe technology is one of the most potent forces of good in the world but for that to sustain, a culture has to develop around it with a deep desire to solve serious, large problems.

Idealism

> It just seemed to me to be the epitome of the "we're in it for ourselves", move fast and break things, easy X-meets-Y description, get rich quick schemes attitude that is increasingly gaining mindshare in the tech industry.

Reality.

While I can definitely understand the belief that given incredible evolution of technology in the past few decades will be a force for good and change, always remember technology is just a tool. People have not fundamentally changed in a very long time.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#78
post #11

I have been working for myself for last 8 years after completing my masters, in hindsight financially I did not do too badly (tho there was some great and ups and incredible downs!) and it is NICE working from home and watching your kid grow (tho there are quite a lot of distractions!!! says he who is procrastinating reading HN :D ) BUT if I was offered a job with guaranteed employment and steady wages and (gaaasp pe…

Really it's the no healthcare that is the issue. How can you tax your residents so much and not provide healthcare? My payroll tax rate in Canada is about 30% on ~$55K

Re: I quit the tech industry

#79
post #31
post #11

I have been working for myself for last 8 years after completing my masters, in hindsight financially I did not do too badly (tho there was some great and ups and incredible downs!) and it is NICE working from home and watching your kid grow (tho there are quite a lot of distractions!!! says he who is procrastinating reading HN :D ) BUT if I was offered a job with guaranteed employment and steady wages and (gaaasp pe…

Some source on Irish taxes? Last time I checked income tax in Ireland was one of lowest in Europe. Bellow €40K (+-) was 20%, everything over 40%. Same income in Germany is taxed way higher.

they look like the figures for the UK, Rep of Ireland is not the UK.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#80
post #11

I have been working for myself for last 8 years after completing my masters, in hindsight financially I did not do too badly (tho there was some great and ups and incredible downs!) and it is NICE working from home and watching your kid grow (tho there are quite a lot of distractions!!! says he who is procrastinating reading HN :D ) BUT if I was offered a job with guaranteed employment and steady wages and (gaaasp pe…

Thanks to the Internet numbing my moral compass, it's not often I'm shocked, but 53% is just horrifying :(. On the other foot, I live in Australia where most can't afford to buy a house in Sydney, even with what would be considered pretty good wages. That's why I moved out of core tech and became a librarian (which is still pretty tech) in a more regional city. Lower wages but slightly more affordable houses mean I m…

Between (hidden) payroll taxes and state and federal income taxes a developer making 120k in San Francisco isn't too far below 53%.
Post reply on HN