5 ms·

I was once in a position where I really wanted this, I even made a post on Ask HN ~2 years ago in hopes to generate some discussion and find resources about it

by godot 7y ago

I was once in a position where I really wanted this, I even made a post on Ask HN ~2 years ago in hopes to generate some discussion and find resources about it [1]. Things have changed for me since then. A year ago, out of mostly good luck, I landed on a fully remote software engineer position (not having remote experience before). We don't have an overwork culture and stick to mostly 40-hour work weeks. Some days are longer and some are shorter, sure, like in most tech startups. Ultimately, it feels like I'm saving much, much more time just by not commuting. This is not just saving the 2-3 hours per day commute (typical for SF bay area), which is huge on its own, but also a lot of little pieces of time throughout the day -- you can sneak in time to do some housework chores during idling minutes at work (unload the dishwasher when you take your coffee mug back to the kitchen!), you can make a quick lunch in ~2 minutes at home instead of having to go out (even down to the cafe to line up for free food, in the case of big cos). The end result is that even though I still work mostly 40-hour work weeks, it feels almost like moving to part time work. The best thing about it is you still get full benefits (health insurance is expensive on your own!), and base pay is relatively decent (not as high as SF startups, but still a lot higher than part time employment). And I'm doing fulfilling work that I like, and spending my time productively, to boot. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14808178 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14808178

jonnycoder 7y ago
May I ask where you work? I am seeking a remote software/senior software engineer position. Thanks
- rovr138 7y ago
  Not who you asked, but there are lots of companies. I found my current role through a SO job posting. It was actually pretty quick.
sshagent 7y ago
this is pretty much my position. I've been working from home, for 8 or 9 years. The commute is around 2 hours each way. So saving 4 hours + other random delays is heaven. I've been offered work on twice my salary but all include travel. No chance i'll take them. Quality of life > Extra monies
vram22 7y ago
>you can make a quick lunch in ~2 minutes at home Do you mean either 1) just heating up some left-over food, or 2) just heating up an instant meal packet of some kind? Because otherwise I don't know how you can make a lunch in 2 minutes - only other possibility I can think of is sandwich(es) with already ready-made or already-prepared ingredients. Note: emphasis on the word "make", not "buy".
- tom_mellior 7y ago
  Not the parent, but I work from home and yes, very often it's a sandwich for lunch. Or more than one sandwich throughout the day, since with complete schedule freedom you are not tied to conventions like lunch hours. I cook a warm meal for dinner. Works for me.
  - vram22 7y ago
    Sandwiches can be great :) I prefer only whole-wheat or other whole-grain breads (for both sandwiches as well as other uses), and healthy sandwich ingredients, although I'm not rigid about it - I will go for less healthy ingredients sometimes, or if I cannot avoid them, on occasion. (The healthy ones tend to taste better too, anyway.) I work from home too.
- tropo 7y ago
  I'll have you know that chocolate is a perfectly scrumptious lunch. You don't need to heat it, but that is fine. Sandwich recipe: Spread chocolate sauce on a chocolate bar. Spread chocolate frosting on another chocolate bar. Place them together, frosting against sauce, to finish the sandwich.
  - vram22 7y ago
    Ha ha. I like chocolate, but that amount would be a bit too much for me, unless you're kidding :)
  - vram22 7y ago
    I've read that ancient Central / South Americans used to have chocolate mainly as a drink, and sometimes with chillies (both plants - cacao and chile - originated thereabouts, I've read). I've recently started having a cup or two of warm milk with sambar podi (powder, a hottish Indian spice mix :) First thought it was an unconventional idea that I had come up with, then later remembered that there are masala milk powders sold in India (not containing milk powder, just with masalas (spice mixes) which you mix (boil or heat) with regular milk and then drink it). Good for health, particularly in winter or for colds, and tastes good too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) https://www.google.com/search?q=sambar+powder https://www.google.com/search?q=sambar+powder https://www.google.com/search?q=masala+milk https://www.google.com/search?q=masala+milk
goostavos 7y ago
Man, I miss remote work so much. Those little things you describe, like being able to toss a load of laundry in the wash mid-day, really add up to a lot of sanity long term. Going into an office everyday makes my home life sometimes feel like it's just a bunch of prep-work accounting for the fact that I'll be going back into the office again the next day.

by godot 7y ago

jonnycoder 7y ago

May I ask where you work? I am seeking a remote software/senior software engineer position. Thanks

rovr138 7y ago
Not who you asked, but there are lots of companies. I found my current role through a SO job posting. It was actually pretty quick.

sshagent 7y ago

this is pretty much my position. I've been working from home, for 8 or 9 years. The commute is around 2 hours each way. So saving 4 hours + other random delays is heaven. I've been offered work on twice my salary but all include travel. No chance i'll take them. Quality of life > Extra monies

vram22 7y ago

>you can make a quick lunch in ~2 minutes at home Do you mean either 1) just heating up some left-over food, or 2) just heating up an instant meal packet of some kind? Because otherwise I don't know how you can make a lunch in 2 minutes - only other possibility I can think of is sandwich(es) with already ready-made or already-prepared ingredients. Note: emphasis on the word "make", not "buy".

tom_mellior 7y ago
Not the parent, but I work from home and yes, very often it's a sandwich for lunch. Or more than one sandwich throughout the day, since with complete schedule freedom you are not tied to conventions like lunch hours. I cook a warm meal for dinner. Works for me.
- vram22 7y ago
  Sandwiches can be great :) I prefer only whole-wheat or other whole-grain breads (for both sandwiches as well as other uses), and healthy sandwich ingredients, although I'm not rigid about it - I will go for less healthy ingredients sometimes, or if I cannot avoid them, on occasion. (The healthy ones tend to taste better too, anyway.) I work from home too.
tropo 7y ago
I'll have you know that chocolate is a perfectly scrumptious lunch. You don't need to heat it, but that is fine. Sandwich recipe: Spread chocolate sauce on a chocolate bar. Spread chocolate frosting on another chocolate bar. Place them together, frosting against sauce, to finish the sandwich.
- vram22 7y ago
  Ha ha. I like chocolate, but that amount would be a bit too much for me, unless you're kidding :)
- vram22 7y ago
  I've read that ancient Central / South Americans used to have chocolate mainly as a drink, and sometimes with chillies (both plants - cacao and chile - originated thereabouts, I've read). I've recently started having a cup or two of warm milk with sambar podi (powder, a hottish Indian spice mix :) First thought it was an unconventional idea that I had come up with, then later remembered that there are masala milk powders sold in India (not containing milk powder, just with masalas (spice mixes) which you mix (boil or heat) with regular milk and then drink it). Good for health, particularly in winter or for colds, and tastes good too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambar_(dish) https://www.google.com/search?q=sambar+powder https://www.google.com/search?q=sambar+powder https://www.google.com/search?q=masala+milk https://www.google.com/search?q=masala+milk

goostavos 7y ago

Man, I miss remote work so much. Those little things you describe, like being able to toss a load of laundry in the wash mid-day, really add up to a lot of sanity long term. Going into an office everyday makes my home life sometimes feel like it's just a bunch of prep-work accounting for the fact that I'll be going back into the office again the next day.