Ask HN: Have you ever regretted working on a product?

Re:Ask HN: Have you ever regretted working on a product? by nathan_f77 on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @03:20AM (#18501028)

One time I took on a contract project that was really soul crushing. They were just re-inventing a worse version of something that already exists, so I didn't see the point. The code was a mess, and the team wasn't very good to be honest. It paid really well, but I hated every second of working on it, and I really struggled with motivation. They were happy with the results, but it wasn't my best work and I wasn't proud of it.

I really regret taking on that project, and I should have quit much sooner. It wasn't evil and it didn't have a negative effect on people. It was just boring and felt like a huge waste of time.

After that experience, I only accept jobs where I know I can do really good work, and where I'm at least a little bit interested in the idea. Even if I have to cut my rate, it's always better to feel useful and productive.

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Re:Ask HN: Have you ever regretted working on a product? by DBCerigo on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @06:07AM (#18501762)

Very much echo this, specifically that I’ve found it’s always better to take a worse paying project I’m stoked about making happen than a higher date rate on a project I have no interest in. Having intrinsic motivation to work rather than having to _force_ myself to work on something is easily worth a drop of £100-200 p.d. imo. (That amount presumes the lower day rate is still something I can live off.)

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Re:Ask HN: Have you ever regretted working on a product? by buttholesurfer on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @12:05PM (#18504129)

I just left a job that felt exactly the same way. Only problem is I let 6 years go by and now I feel I'm behind in the world. The company spent the last 8 years trying to replace another 3rd party system. They're still to this day using the 3rd party system. It feels like such a waste.

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