mangochutney

mangochutney on Hacker News

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Wednesday December 23, 2020 @09:56PM (#25524659)

I guess my question to you is, where are you exiting to?

This is in my OP that began the comment thread.

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Wednesday December 23, 2020 @10:41AM (#25518696)

I submit that if a team cannot operate under such a set of rules, it will be unable to adopt any set of process rules

Good lord it is exactly this kind religiosity that has me running for the exit.

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Tuesday December 22, 2020 @12:48PM (#25509007)

It is the environment in which they code, that creates most of the frustration

Wholeheartedly agreed

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Tuesday December 22, 2020 @12:40PM (#25508913)

Eh, you're not wrong, amigo. And thanks for the words.

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Tuesday December 22, 2020 @12:38PM (#25508888)

I used to struggle finding the words for it, then I found this thread[1]. Instead of a long diatribe more or less saying the same thing, I think that article sums up 99% of it.

Generally speaking: I just don't have the energy for the amounts of bullshit that comes with being in this career anymore. No job is immune from bullshit, this much is true--but I kind of hate this cop out because it strips agency from people in minimizing the amount of bullshit they are subjected to on a daily basis.

For me, that means to hell with this career. I very much want to do something different, so that's what's going to happen.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25251029

Good luck on whatever voyage and path you end up taking, I genuinely hope you find a spot of zen for you and yours.

EDIT: BY THE WAY--I will probably never stop coding, as there are always opportunities to be efficient in bookkeeping and do some low level automation (in fact I do this already). I've also got a home lab running a few local services and I enjoy tinkering. I'm just not at all interested in writing and maintaining feature/production code for another SaaS platform or "tech company". Not at all. Never again. The idea of even interviewing for one of these jobs has the heart rate ticking up and the jaw to clinch up.

Re:Should you Work Hard? (2019) on Tuesday December 22, 2020 @12:03PM (#25508444)

Posting from a throwaway because I know my current team are also HNers and they know of my other account but (as I’m sure some can relate)

My advice is to try to recognize when one's career is no longer fulfilling; save a little money along the way, and pivot hard in search of work/life satisfaction even if it means a big downgrade in income.

Is exactly my plan in 2021. I’m leaving SWE and going back to school for finance and accounting. I’ve always enjoyed and been skilled at the numbers game and have done bookkeeping for a Local community outreach group for many years, I’ve found a very tangible calm doing something more quantitative than building CI/CD pipelines and roadmaps and oncall and feature standups and andnand and and and. I am so thoroughly burned out, disaffected and otherwise sick of my career and some of the doing this after 17 years that I’ve begun having legitimate anxiety attacks.

I had two sitting at my desk last week. When I turned around to get up and get a glass of water I saw the dog cowering in the corner. He had never seen me like that.

That’s when I knew it was time to go. Well, actually no I knew several years ago but the golden handcuffs were clamped tight and I was too scared to go.

Not anymore.

Bye.