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A comment on Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful startup?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by sizzle on Monday September 17, 2018 @01:26AM (#18003434)
Reading this comment and thread was painful because I immediately agreed and can tell that it was written from the wisdom you gain only by having experienced it first hand.

I was so naive when I started out in tech as a starry-eyed fresh grad, only to have my soul slowly crushed somewhere between the transition from slash and burn start-ups and boring behemoth big Corp bureaucracy. How do you guys stay sane in tech and do you see yourself do thing forever?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by majewsky on Monday September 17, 2018 @03:16AM (#18003815)
> How do you guys stay sane in tech?

Recognize that the work life is not the ends, but the means. You're selling your time in exchange for money which then allows you to pursue your personal goals.

Also, enter a state of mind where you watch office politics from the sidelines without getting personally invested in it. Maintain a metaphorical "strategic popcorn reserve".

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Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by hef19898 on Monday September 17, 2018 @03:45AM (#18003929)
I love the "strategic popcorn reserve". The trick is to a) not use it up and b) not become someone elses popcorn reserve
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Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by borplk on Monday September 17, 2018 @11:13AM (#18006676)
> Maintain a metaphorical "strategic popcorn reserve".

Did you just come up with that? It's absolute gold.

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Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by majewsky on Monday September 17, 2018 @11:33AM (#18006861)
There is prior art. I learned the term from German tech blogger Fefe: http://blog.fefe.de/?q=Popcorn-Reserve
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Re:Ask HN: What is the dark side of working at a successful ... by 131012 on Monday September 17, 2018 @09:52AM (#18005900)
I read about work politics so I can get good at self-defense for my economical interest, but avoid going offensive so I can sleep sound at night and keep a bit of my naive child heart.
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