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This is something that has been bothering me somewhat. The following in particular bothers me a lot: > "Why are you still working?" The answer for me is simp

This is something that has been bothering me somewhat. The following in particular bothers me a lot: > "Why are you still working?" The answer for me is simple - because I want to. I learned how to program at the tender age of 10 using a book that came with a C64 that my dad got for free from a garage sale. Since those first years, the field at every turn has provided me with new intellectual challenges and as I've progressed I've accumulated different ideas and projects that I'd like to complete. That includes reasonably fleshed out ideas in bioinformatics, in distributed operating systems, in models for runtime type inference for dynamically typed programming languages, virtual machine construction techniques, and more. I will never have enough time in my life to fully explore all of these - each of them will take years of dedicated effort to actually make something out of - so I have to pick and choose wisely to pursue the projects I care about given the opportunities presented to me. My version of "cashing out" is basically sticking my money in a savings account and getting back to working on interesting things.. or if I have enough of it, using that money to pay some people to help me explore some of the more interesting things I have in my mental back pocket. Some of us actually are passionate about our work. I suppose there are many that are in the field simply to make some big money and get out and live "the good life". I consider the life I would live doing that, and it just feels so soul-crushingly boring and insipid. What a waste of a life.

pdimitar 8y ago
While I fully agree with your sentiments for the programming work -- I learned at 12 and never suffered a loss of enthusiasm, and I am 38 now -- I disagree on the money part. You can love your job AND be rich. I've seen programmers achieve it. But to be brutally honest to all sides, it doesn't come to you by a mere technical talent. Knowing people, psychology, some sociology and basically having an eye for opportunity seem to be key. I am not rich. I've made a ton of bad financial decisions in my life and for a year now I work really hard to prioritize things properly. I have success on that front and I am now a pretty wise spender (without being frugal, too) but I still live paycheck to paycheck. To go outside that bubble we really have to stop believing in a "secure income". Many investors and financiers say: "diversify your portfolio". We must all be working on 4-5 places with 5-10h a week each I guess? Or just be consultants at several places where the workload for us is low? Have 10 small SaaS businesses each netting us $500 a month? Not sure yet. But I definitely do agree that spending the rest of your life only managing your finances is boring and insipid and is a waste of life indeed.
- kannanvijayan 8y ago
  I was responding particularly to the sentiment of why one would still be working as they get older, independent of financial situation. I don't disagree at all that money and financial maturity matters - simply for assuring the security you need to feed, clothe and shelter yourself through the inevitable ups and downs of life.. as well as open up opportunities that you may not have otherwise had access to.
kabdib 8y ago
I once expressed the "I'm not in it for money, I just want to do a great product" thing to a CEO, and he immediately offered to cut my salary in half. I got the message. (I had a few more happy years at that place, but never made much money there. I found that other companies could not only be better places to work, but that they paid better, too).
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]

pdimitar 8y ago

While I fully agree with your sentiments for the programming work -- I learned at 12 and never suffered a loss of enthusiasm, and I am 38 now -- I disagree on the money part. You can love your job AND be rich. I've seen programmers achieve it. But to be brutally honest to all sides, it doesn't come to you by a mere technical talent. Knowing people, psychology, some sociology and basically having an eye for opportunity seem to be key. I am not rich. I've made a ton of bad financial decisions in my life and for a year now I work really hard to prioritize things properly. I have success on that front and I am now a pretty wise spender (without being frugal, too) but I still live paycheck to paycheck. To go outside that bubble we really have to stop believing in a "secure income". Many investors and financiers say: "diversify your portfolio". We must all be working on 4-5 places with 5-10h a week each I guess? Or just be consultants at several places where the workload for us is low? Have 10 small SaaS businesses each netting us $500 a month? Not sure yet. But I definitely do agree that spending the rest of your life only managing your finances is boring and insipid and is a waste of life indeed.

kannanvijayan 8y ago
I was responding particularly to the sentiment of why one would still be working as they get older, independent of financial situation. I don't disagree at all that money and financial maturity matters - simply for assuring the security you need to feed, clothe and shelter yourself through the inevitable ups and downs of life.. as well as open up opportunities that you may not have otherwise had access to.

kabdib 8y ago

I once expressed the "I'm not in it for money, I just want to do a great product" thing to a CEO, and he immediately offered to cut my salary in half. I got the message. (I had a few more happy years at that place, but never made much money there. I found that other companies could not only be better places to work, but that they paid better, too).

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]