5 ms·

I sympathize and did the same thing earlier this year: I quit my job to try and strike out on my own. For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" a

I sympathize and did the same thing earlier this year: I quit my job to try and strike out on my own. For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" and tell you how valuable your work is. Then, you realize all you do is grease the wheels of bureaucracy. Any serious attempts of asking the question "how would anything be different if I didn't do my work" only leads to depressing answers. I've found the result of quitting to be a mixed bag. Yes, the work is more gratifying because it's "yours," but are you really impacting the world more? You're either building and replacing the bureaucracy that you hated, or you're just too insignificant to warrant the bureaucracy. Also, not being paid a ton of money really sucks.

Termitiono 4y ago
My strategy is to work as long as I can and have to. Have to means having no debt,.my own land and low living costs. Basically being independent. Then using my career to work 50% with a good salary remote. If I would not do that, I would do the same as you and look for something good to work on. For me I would go and find a company which does things for agriculture or other things which helps us all. Working 40h feels wrong though.
thisNeeds2BeSad 4y ago
Its particularly bitter in the big ones. You develop something cool, they patent it and then put the patent "right on the office fridge, that way we get to see it every day" and there the innovation hangs and suffers and you realize not only did you work in vain, you made the life for true entrepaneurs harder for a long time and blocked innovation for years to come. Then you get promoted and oversee the same procedure of poisoning humanitys well executed by a younger generation.
- tangjurine 4y ago
  Is this really what happens?
Cthulhu_ 4y ago
> For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" and tell you how valuable your work is. That's because hiring is marketing; they're selling a job to you, you pay them in your labor and attention span. Nobody will be attracted to a job where the description says what it is - e.g. "legacy enterprise java application maintenance". Nobody wants to work a job that is just to fill a seat.
- Swenrekcah 4y ago
  Plenty of people are mechanics and garbage collectors and janitors. Stuff needs doing, I think there wouldn’t be a shortage of people to do it provided the pay is competitive. In fact I think job happiness would be better if your actual job is more aligned with what you signed up for. I guess part of the problem is that the companies themselves don’t want to admit they need maintenance workers because they want to be innovative entrepreneurial company where everyone is doing something innovative and new and exciting!
- annyeonghada 4y ago
  I would totally dig a job posting with only examples of actual tasks instead of "passion, drive, and bullshit"
mgkimsal 4y ago
> but are you really impacting the world more? You're impacting your own world more. It may be for better or worse, but you're giving yourself more control. For many folks, that's not a good thing - there's value in structure/hierarchy/rules. However, you personally don't often get as much of that value directly. Working 'on your own', gives you then potential to capture more of that value (from your own structure/rules/etc), but it's also not trivial to do better than a larger org. Much depends on what you're measuring - money? freedom/flexibility? sense of satisfaction? Decide what the goals are first, then work towards that, and make adjustments as needed.

Termitiono 4y ago

My strategy is to work as long as I can and have to. Have to means having no debt,.my own land and low living costs. Basically being independent. Then using my career to work 50% with a good salary remote. If I would not do that, I would do the same as you and look for something good to work on. For me I would go and find a company which does things for agriculture or other things which helps us all. Working 40h feels wrong though.

thisNeeds2BeSad 4y ago

Its particularly bitter in the big ones. You develop something cool, they patent it and then put the patent "right on the office fridge, that way we get to see it every day" and there the innovation hangs and suffers and you realize not only did you work in vain, you made the life for true entrepaneurs harder for a long time and blocked innovation for years to come. Then you get promoted and oversee the same procedure of poisoning humanitys well executed by a younger generation.

tangjurine 4y ago
Is this really what happens?

Cthulhu_ 4y ago

> For most tech companies, they sell you on this "mission" and tell you how valuable your work is. That's because hiring is marketing; they're selling a job to you, you pay them in your labor and attention span. Nobody will be attracted to a job where the description says what it is - e.g. "legacy enterprise java application maintenance". Nobody wants to work a job that is just to fill a seat.

Swenrekcah 4y ago
Plenty of people are mechanics and garbage collectors and janitors. Stuff needs doing, I think there wouldn’t be a shortage of people to do it provided the pay is competitive. In fact I think job happiness would be better if your actual job is more aligned with what you signed up for. I guess part of the problem is that the companies themselves don’t want to admit they need maintenance workers because they want to be innovative entrepreneurial company where everyone is doing something innovative and new and exciting!
annyeonghada 4y ago
I would totally dig a job posting with only examples of actual tasks instead of "passion, drive, and bullshit"

mgkimsal 4y ago

> but are you really impacting the world more? You're impacting your own world more. It may be for better or worse, but you're giving yourself more control. For many folks, that's not a good thing - there's value in structure/hierarchy/rules. However, you personally don't often get as much of that value directly. Working 'on your own', gives you then potential to capture more of that value (from your own structure/rules/etc), but it's also not trivial to do better than a larger org. Much depends on what you're measuring - money? freedom/flexibility? sense of satisfaction? Decide what the goals are first, then work towards that, and make adjustments as needed.