Re:I no longer build software
by wing-_-nuts on Monday September 21, 2020 @10:08AM
(#24543644)
Not everyone here works for FAANG companies in silicon valley. Retiring by 45 is possible in much of the rest of the country but one has to go hard to do it.
For myself, I simply wanted to be free from financial worries and financially independent. I hit that at 35, and yes, I'll probably be able to retire by 45, but I'm a bit too frugal for my own good. For someone living a more 'balanced' lifestyle I think 50 or 55 is a fine goal.
If that's what anyone takes away from my jeremiad, then I actually think that's pretty great. Except ... why not 45? Maybe if more people could use software development as a quick route to something else that created more personal satisfaction and/or social value, that would actually be a good outcome. A bit more "it's just a job" and a bit less "it's my holy calling" is a necessary ingredient in that formula.