Normally human gets bored when he does repetitive work,
and innovation come from chaos, when you make change in few parameters of the current system.
I feel you should try something new, you can start a startup in your favourite domain, go and visit new places and meet people.
Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
11–20 of 134 posts
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#12It sounds like whatever you've been doing, wherever you've been doing it, has focused on software for itself, and on building so much of the useless and short lived things that come out of SV and similar places.
Software, computer science, can be your ticket into whatever industry you want, whatever interests you, because it all needs software.
So think about what's interesting to you in the world. Aircraft? Aerospace? Trains? Medicine? Medical devices? Business? Movie making? Publishing? Oppressive scheduling algorithms managing on call jobs in the legal slavery known as retail? Shipping logistics? Law enforcement? Surveillance? Human rights? Gambling?
Man, the world is infinite for all intents and purposes, and you get to participate in any part of it you want. Raise your head up from your tools a bit and look around.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#13So you've stopped drinking the Kool-Aide ?
I totally agree with you. Technology for the sake of playing with technology gets stale after a while.
The software industry loves re-inventing things and attaching new labels. You are absolutely correct that regardless of what language/paradigm/methodology you use eventually every program results in machine level instructions being executed. In some cases less efficiently than in other cases. It's not about the program, it's about the problem being solved.
Only you can decide, based upon the other comments and preferably after competent medical advice, whether your situation is a case or burn-out, depression, mid-life crisis, etc.
Assuming that it is none of the above, then you might want to consider finding a "real world problem" and using your knowledge and expertise to create a solution for it. If you can't find any worthwhile problems (yet) then go travelling! It will open your eyes to a massive, colourful, complex REAL world out there with its myriad problems. Sooner or later you'll find something you care about enough to want to solve.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#14I was there some years ago. I realized that the root cause of the problem was focusing on the wrong things (at least they were wrong for me). Tools are just that - they are tools. Granted, there are many of them, new and shining, coming in all packages, but that gets tiresome after you've spent a substantial period of time with them. They are all essentially the same and sooner or later you lose interest in them. Wha…
Amen! You've said it far better than my attempt.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#15Is there still anything you'd like to see built? I mean, if you were on a desert island, would you even want a computer? What would you do with it?
I'd sooner build a boat and sail away.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#16What you're describing sounds like too much focus on the What instead of the Why.
WHY are you building software? Start with answering that question. Then, do a bit of soul-searching; figure out what truly feels meaningful for you. That's something no one can answer but you. Then go and do it.
If you can't come up with an immediate answer, then start trying different things.
Building a bridge isn't enough. Connecting two communities over an otherwise impassable chasm is.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#17You almost say it yourself: do something else instead of programming. Maybe you'll want to come back later, maybe not, either way you come out ahead of where you are today.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#18So you've stopped drinking the Kool-Aide ? I totally agree with you. Technology for the sake of playing with technology gets stale after a while. The software industry loves re-inventing things and attaching new labels. You are absolutely correct that regardless of what language/paradigm/methodology you use eventually every program results in machine level instructions being executed. In some cases less efficiently t…
Something I also wanted to say. Consider changing your scenery. It might give a boost to your morale and supply you with new and better ideas. Perhaps find a job on another continent for a change.
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#19Do something else for a while and take a good look around you while doing so. What do you see? Things only got worse. Life elsewhere is even more prone to bullshit. There is only one notable difference. Most of them do not even seem to make money! Go figure ...
Re: Ask HN: I am 30+ and bored with life and the software industry, what do I do?
#20Study theoretical physics, this is exactly how I felt in my mid-twenties and what I did, once you get bored of that try philosophy.