Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

I quit the tech industry

eev.ee

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

321–330 of 565 posts

Re: I quit the tech industry

#321

Post by mark-r »

jlongster wrote: post #210
brightball wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He has actually done one of the best things that he can do in that situation: eliminate expenses. When I tried bootstrapping my startup years ago with periodic contract work the albatross around my neck wasn't anything to do with the company, it was the mortgage and other home expenses that continually made it harder and harder to go without a steady income. People always focus on income without looking at expenses a…

I've always wanted to make $200,000 or so from a successful personal project on the side, just so that I could pay off my mortgage so I didn't have to worry about it anymore. But when I think about really getting that money, I realize I wouldn't do that. If my mortage is $1200/month, I just bought myself 166 months, or ~14 years. If the idea is to quit your job and invest in a company, that's not the smartest move. Y…

Paying off a mortgage is just like any other investment - you need to look at the terms to see if it's worth doing. It's very illiquid, you can't get your cash back without getting another mortgage. On the other hand, it's a guaranteed rate of return that's probably significantly more than any other guaranteed rate you can find.

If you think you can do better with a different investment then go for it. But remember, someone with a lot more money than you decided that their best bet was to finance your mortgage.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#322

Post by lohengramm »

saiya-jin wrote: post #278
lohengramm wrote: post #19

This post expresses exactly how I feel. I am currently under a 30 days vacation and it has been incredibly good. In only three weeks I have studied lots of things that were postponed for months or years, worked on a personal project, exercised my body, slept well, read books, disassembled every old electronic device that was lurking for years to clean and fix it, went to a medical doctor to fix health issues that wer…

Posts like these make me a bit sad, how far some people get detached from reality of this world as a whole. I would hate it since i am part of this industry, byt maybe we really need some dev crysis, meaning 50% of software engineers unemployed, salaries plunge say to construction engineers level. Those fortunate to keep the job would be glad to be creative with what they have and maybe, but just MAYBE these pathetic…

I respect your point of view, but I don't want to believe that people should feel "awarded" to have a job. This might be how it always worked and how it still works for the majority, but it is, for me, a defect of the economic system, not a virtue. Maybe we (as humanity) actually never get to that utopic society where mundane tasks are all automated and people are completely educated and free from the burden of wage labor (instead of bow down and thank for the "opportunity to waste your life"), but we must set some goals in order to progress, and the "perfect" economic system seems like a praiseworthy one.

As for my salary, unfortunately, software workers here in Brazil are actually earning way less than some construction engineers. In fact, if I had had a degree in Civil Engineering I would be way better off than with my current Computer Science major.

Again, I see you have a point, but internet forums are here for that exactly: discussing -- with moanings included.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#323

Post by omouse »

This is precisely why Google had 20% time and why other companies have hackathons; that ramp-up time to get anything done is definitely required.

It's also burnout; the dude is sick of working on something that he doesn't particularly care about anymore. I bet if Yelp offered him a few days a week or 1 week per month to work on whatever he wants he'd be happier and wouldn't be burnt out.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#324

Post by eevee »

jahnu wrote: post #43

"I had stock options, and I cashed them all in last week. I net enough to pay off the mortgage, so I’m doing that, which will leave the entire household debt-free and cut our expenses drastically." I'm happy for you. Even a tiny bit jealous. But it does in the end make the whole post sound like a humblebrag to me.

I'm doing something with a huge financial impact, so I wanted to talk about how I was dealing with that.

I deliberately left out actual numbers, but I don't know how to be any more tactful than that. Sorry.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#325

Post by Chronic31 »

votetardgjgjv wrote: post #205
zatkin wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please make more meaningful contributions rather than simply feeling similarities with other users. That is what the upvoting feature is for.

Please make more meaningful contributions rather than simply feeling similarities with other users. That is what the downvoting feature is for.

Reposting: Please make more meaningful contributions rather than simply feeling similarities with other users. That is what the downvoting feature is for.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#326

Post by eevee »

cko wrote: post #157
jahnu wrote: post #43

"I had stock options, and I cashed them all in last week. I net enough to pay off the mortgage, so I’m doing that, which will leave the entire household debt-free and cut our expenses drastically." I'm happy for you. Even a tiny bit jealous. But it does in the end make the whole post sound like a humblebrag to me.

Doesn't seem that way to me, because I'd be terrified in his situation. And my current passive cash flow covers monthly expenses. Different perception of risk, I guess. I'm amazed by the courage of people who can risk so much. Guess I will never be billionaire rich.

I am absolutely terrified, which is why I didn't quit six months or a year ago.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#327

Post by esharte »

yc1010 wrote: 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…

>~53% high tax rate with only about ~$35K in income

I'm sorry but you cant just go on to HN and make stuff up.

You pay 20% on the first €33,800 income and only 40% on income over €33,800 if single.

You pay 20% on the first €42,800 income and only 40% on income over €42,800 if Married with one income.

You pay 20% on the first €67,600 income and only 40% on income over €67,600 if Married with two incomes.

You pay 20% on the first €37,800 income and only 40% on income over €37,800 if a single parent.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#328

Post by harimau »

neverartful wrote: post #288
mpdehaan2 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While not burnout related, I found out a while back, and this is somewhat paradoxical, that if I care TOO much, I'm less happy. What happens is I notice all the stuff I can't fix, or need to fix, and other people get stressed out making them fix it. The end result is that I stop caring quite as much (I still care), get happy, and then start caring too much again. It's especially hard at times when you have a lot of e…

Having too much passion? IMO, passion is not sustainable. I believe that dispassionate works much better over the long term. Of course, ymmv.

mpdehaan2 didn't use the word passion but caring too much. I've found myself in a similar situation. I didn't care about the company or work at all but, within the realm of job, I still wanted to excel at it. When you're forced to be somewhere 8 hours a day, you tend to want to make that time matter. Otherwise, what's the point. I've been through the exact same cycle and it sucks. It's worth it as a learning process though. Finding what the right balance for you, what works, what doesn't.

Re: I quit the tech industry

#329

Post by discardorama »

I was wondering what this person's situation was. Then I read this in her(his?) blog:

> I currently work for Yelp from the comfort of my home in Las Vegas. I live with my ridiculous cat, my partner, her three cats, her husband, his dog, and our boyfriend.

Now it makes more sense. In my limited experience, when you're working remotely, you feel disconnected from the mothership. To this, add some work stress, and it's easy to get disenchanted.

PS: I don't really know how to parse that sentence. No wonder NLP is so hard! ;-D

Re: I quit the tech industry

#330

Post by mcdougle »

bottled_poe wrote: post #121
jrochkind1 wrote: post #111

Of course a full-time job sucks. Most people need one anyway in order to pay the rent. If you have the luxury of getting away without it, of course why wouldn't you? I have the luxury of working a 4/5ths time (four days a week job). I'm still a programmer. At a university. That also allows me to work reasonable hours on that 4/5th time job, take personal days for personal business, etc. And most of what I write is op…

Your last sentence is certainly true, but the difference is being able to choose what is worth doing and being fully invested in the outcome.

Also control over your time. There's a huge difference between "9 to 5 every day" and "40ish hours a week, pick the times that are most convenient, and have some flexibility in that number based on how much actually gets done"
Post reply on HN