Ask HN: How can I stay gainfully employed when I just want to “coast” as a SWE?

Re:Ask HN: How can I stay gainfully employed when I just wan... by ryandrake on Monday March 29, 2021 @07:38PM (#26629680)

I think a lot had to do with moving to the Bay Area for job security. After being unemployed after both major tech recessions, I wanted to move somewhere a little less risky. Moving to Bay Area is kind of a Faustian Bargain [1]. You gain better job security and access to companies that you absolutely wouldn't have in FlyoverTown, USA. But you also gain extremely crushing cost of living (eliminating financial benefits of higher salaries) and a workaholic-as-normal culture.

Another thing I realized was that I was simply wrong. Busting ass isn't what lets you become financially independent by your 40s. The peers I know who retired early, largely were lucky in the startup lottery. Some busted ass, most simply lucked into the right company.

1: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Faustian_bargain

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Re:Ask HN: How can I stay gainfully employed when I just wan... by burntoutfire on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @08:31AM (#26633823)

Also probably depends on the vision of your retirement. If you want to retire with high five-figure (or God forbid, six figure) yearly spending, then it's not that easy. If, on the other hand, you're ok with living like a median American, you don't need that much money. I'm just about to retire in Poland at 40 by this logic, and I didn't even work all the years between college and now! (took a total of around 4-5 years in between-jobs breaks).

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