My issue is that your comment reads far too much into the motivations of the author, and you create a strawman stereotype that they are a corporate drone. You have no right to assume how the author prioritises nice vacations with their [partner] and kids. Hacker news guidelines: “Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.”

It is fully possible to love a 9-5 job and still care about your career progression and take self pleasure with your job. The author could be a believer in “work hard, play hard”.

“while your career will fade into a 9-5 job” is easily read as using 9-5 as a cliché for a dead end job. I too have a negative attitude towards 9-5ers, because I prioritise lifestyle and alternative achievements over the corporate ladder, and I think 9-5 has its own severe risks.

I agree that the article comes across as work focused, but the article is still relevant even if you want a cruisy job and to glide through your work life. Any career needs to avoid the risk of complacency, leading to zero development, leading to permanent unemployment or being stuck in a hell job when external circumstances change.

Edit: Let us presume that the author is hyper-career focused. Why choose to use a personal values attack against that? That’s their choice man.