5 ms·

I want to refute this notion that you have to work 24/hrs a day, 7 days a week. A lot of company cultures that are like that seem to be much more competitive an

by nyxtom 9y ago

I want to refute this notion that you have to work 24/hrs a day, 7 days a week. A lot of company cultures that are like that seem to be much more competitive and tends to favor young single kids ready to pour in late nights. I say this as a male, who is also somewhat young (late 20s), but I'm also married and I have a kid, and I'm a full-time software engineer who works remotely. In other words, I have a life before/after code, and responsibilities to take care that have nothing to do with building a fiber-channel network in my basement because at the moment I don't even have a basement. I think this is actually more indicative of the culture as a whole within a particular company and even its location, not necessarily any gender bias because a lot of people outside that bubble have similar experiences that have nothing to do with gender. That being said, it's just a weekend and sounds like watercooler talk. There are some nights that I feel like I want to hack on something after everyone goes to sleep, there are others where I just want to read a book. Humanity is a spectrum, it would be a shame to try and put people into relative boxes. It's worth noting that if you don't feel like you fit into a company's culture, it doesn't automatically mean you don't fit into the field at all. STEM is a massively broad set of professions with culture dynamics and social influences that can vary widely from company to location. Let's not assume that one particular bubble like Google Mountain View is indicative of what all companies and professions in STEM look like.

yeukhon 9y ago
+1. I lost most of the passion to hack on new things except doing the job and learn on the job (that's fun). I only hack/write code outside of work when I have a reason to or whenever I feel like to. I rather spend time outdoor or read a book or go to a show/museum whatever or spend time with my baby niece. The notion software engineers spend weekend making new electronic gadgets or come up with a new awesome library is so stereotype, regardless of gender (there are many talented women enjoy hacking outside of their work hours). This culture manifests in startups, almost always. I come on HN and I find some peer pressure: why can't I be cool like these people make new app and get recognition and have a shiny resume? Nah. Stop that thought. I am still burnt out (for 6-7 years since college I didn't sleep much, used to code every night, tried to fix every problems threw at me), so pardon me. Will I ever recover? No, because I don't want that life anymore. For me, home is where I should relax, and my relaxation technique is not coding every night.
- nyxtom 9y ago
  Indeed! Speaking of stereotypes it seems :) Most nights I am pretty burnt out from work that I rarely want to hack on anything. But when I've had enough sleep and an article/project or coursera class peaks my interest I'll take a look. But in general, I would say that's pretty par for the course for me as well. These days with the kid and everything I try and plan for those nights.

by nyxtom 9y ago

yeukhon 9y ago

+1. I lost most of the passion to hack on new things except doing the job and learn on the job (that's fun). I only hack/write code outside of work when I have a reason to or whenever I feel like to. I rather spend time outdoor or read a book or go to a show/museum whatever or spend time with my baby niece. The notion software engineers spend weekend making new electronic gadgets or come up with a new awesome library is so stereotype, regardless of gender (there are many talented women enjoy hacking outside of their work hours). This culture manifests in startups, almost always. I come on HN and I find some peer pressure: why can't I be cool like these people make new app and get recognition and have a shiny resume? Nah. Stop that thought. I am still burnt out (for 6-7 years since college I didn't sleep much, used to code every night, tried to fix every problems threw at me), so pardon me. Will I ever recover? No, because I don't want that life anymore. For me, home is where I should relax, and my relaxation technique is not coding every night.

nyxtom 9y ago
Indeed! Speaking of stereotypes it seems :) Most nights I am pretty burnt out from work that I rarely want to hack on anything. But when I've had enough sleep and an article/project or coursera class peaks my interest I'll take a look. But in general, I would say that's pretty par for the course for me as well. These days with the kid and everything I try and plan for those nights.