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I’m probably not as talented as the author, but I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used. I have been working for ten years

I’m probably not as talented as the author, but I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used. I have been working for ten years post-PhD and every single product I’ve ever worked on has been canned, sometimes very circuitously via acquisitions. My work is trade secret so I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. I have zero outwardly observable accomplishments. My resume and LinkedIn rolodex are the only testaments that I’ve done anything at all. And yet I don’t see myself retiring once I have enough money in a few years

300bps 4y ago
I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used Everyone is motivated by different things. My strongest motivation and satisfaction comes from implementing technology to make drastic and lasting positive change in the work done by other people. Agile development methodology with iterative development and meaningful change every couple weeks suits me very well. What you described as your work would not be fulfilling to me.
colineartheta 4y ago
How were you able to acquire a PhD without a publication?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- daveguy 4y ago
  > post-PhD
  - colineartheta 4y ago
    > I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. When written in a single sentence, it implies that you have never written a publication, post- or pre- or during- a PhD. I will rephrase my question: have you, or have you not, written a publication?
    - mlinksva 4y ago
      Not the slightest clue about the commenter, but coincidentally their username led me to learn about this fictitious student https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Burdell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Burdell
    - daveguy 4y ago
      The whole sentence is: > My work is trade secret so I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. "My work is a trade secret so..." is an important part of the sentence, which I read as a qualifier/context to the "never". It could be interpreted either way.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- mathematicaster 4y ago
  Publications are not always a requirement for being granted a PhD.
ska 4y ago
> but I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used. People are fulfilled by different things. Some people are far more interested in their working having a meaningful (to them) impact to the "outside" world than the specifics of the work.
WorldMaker 4y ago
You may not always feel that way. At some point you may start to wonder what your legacy on this planet is. At the very least: if you've made a good use of your limited time (and the scarce resource that is your labor). (Hard mode: if you've left the planet better off than you found it?) The last few years have pushed a lot of people's "burn out" buttons and the self-reflection of "what have I accomplished with my time?" (and "have I contributed more to good or to evil in this world?") are very easy burn out spirals to experience, so a lot of people are asking these sorts of questions now. (Including just about every day lately for months on "Ask HN", in a million different unique individual ways, if you've not yet noticed.) You sound like you are in a very fortunate place in your life that you aren't struggling with that right now. I envy you a little. I'm also glad for you and I hope it remains that way for you. (I've spent too much time in the last few months worried that too much of my precious labor into finished projects and net revenue generation has been spent in service to the greater evil than the greater good of the world and have been struggling to figure out what that means or what I do with that cursed feeling.)
- yadoomerta 4y ago
  fwiw I agree with you I don't see the heatdeath of the universe as a reason not to make things tidy while we can keep on fighting the good fight, and good luck
- LouisSayers 4y ago
  Ultimately everything will be destroyed anyway... "legacy" is an egotistical concept, if you think you're building anything but sandcastles you're deluding yourself. Enjoy the process, admire your castle, but never forget the tide will have its day.
  - w23j 4y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future
francisofascii 4y ago
I don't think Eric is giving up or retiring, just taking a much needed break. We should all look up from our keyboards from time to time to see the bigger picture. > I need a good long corporate detox before I go looking again.
kevingadd 4y ago
I don't think it necessarily has to be about giving up, but it makes a lot of sense that if you already sort of hate your employer, them deciding to throw out a bunch of valuable work you did and lay you off is a good incentive to reconsider your current industry or at least take a break. Personally I had an entire year worth of difficult sweng work thrown out due to politics, and it's impossible for that not to negatively impact my mood (or performance reviews)!
bombcar 4y ago
There's a big difference knowing ahead of time, also. If I am hired to do trade secret work I'm already understanding that it will never be "known" even if the product or something associated with it DOES work - and many companies in the world will never be known anyway, let alone their products.

300bps 4y ago

I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used Everyone is motivated by different things. My strongest motivation and satisfaction comes from implementing technology to make drastic and lasting positive change in the work done by other people. Agile development methodology with iterative development and meaningful change every couple weeks suits me very well. What you described as your work would not be fulfilling to me.

colineartheta 4y ago

How were you able to acquire a PhD without a publication?

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
daveguy 4y ago
> post-PhD
- colineartheta 4y ago
  > I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. When written in a single sentence, it implies that you have never written a publication, post- or pre- or during- a PhD. I will rephrase my question: have you, or have you not, written a publication?
  - mlinksva 4y ago
    Not the slightest clue about the commenter, but coincidentally their username led me to learn about this fictitious student https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Burdell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Burdell
  - daveguy 4y ago
    The whole sentence is: > My work is trade secret so I’ve never filed a patent, written a publication, nor given a talk. "My work is a trade secret so..." is an important part of the sentence, which I read as a qualifier/context to the "never". It could be interpreted either way.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
mathematicaster 4y ago
Publications are not always a requirement for being granted a PhD.

ska 4y ago

> but I can’t relate to this feeling of giving up because some work won’t be used. People are fulfilled by different things. Some people are far more interested in their working having a meaningful (to them) impact to the "outside" world than the specifics of the work.

WorldMaker 4y ago

You may not always feel that way. At some point you may start to wonder what your legacy on this planet is. At the very least: if you've made a good use of your limited time (and the scarce resource that is your labor). (Hard mode: if you've left the planet better off than you found it?) The last few years have pushed a lot of people's "burn out" buttons and the self-reflection of "what have I accomplished with my time?" (and "have I contributed more to good or to evil in this world?") are very easy burn out spirals to experience, so a lot of people are asking these sorts of questions now. (Including just about every day lately for months on "Ask HN", in a million different unique individual ways, if you've not yet noticed.) You sound like you are in a very fortunate place in your life that you aren't struggling with that right now. I envy you a little. I'm also glad for you and I hope it remains that way for you. (I've spent too much time in the last few months worried that too much of my precious labor into finished projects and net revenue generation has been spent in service to the greater evil than the greater good of the world and have been struggling to figure out what that means or what I do with that cursed feeling.)

yadoomerta 4y ago
fwiw I agree with you I don't see the heatdeath of the universe as a reason not to make things tidy while we can keep on fighting the good fight, and good luck
LouisSayers 4y ago
Ultimately everything will be destroyed anyway... "legacy" is an egotistical concept, if you think you're building anything but sandcastles you're deluding yourself. Enjoy the process, admire your castle, but never forget the tide will have its day.
- w23j 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_far_future

francisofascii 4y ago

I don't think Eric is giving up or retiring, just taking a much needed break. We should all look up from our keyboards from time to time to see the bigger picture. > I need a good long corporate detox before I go looking again.

kevingadd 4y ago

I don't think it necessarily has to be about giving up, but it makes a lot of sense that if you already sort of hate your employer, them deciding to throw out a bunch of valuable work you did and lay you off is a good incentive to reconsider your current industry or at least take a break. Personally I had an entire year worth of difficult sweng work thrown out due to politics, and it's impossible for that not to negatively impact my mood (or performance reviews)!

bombcar 4y ago

There's a big difference knowing ahead of time, also. If I am hired to do trade secret work I'm already understanding that it will never be "known" even if the product or something associated with it DOES work - and many companies in the world will never be known anyway, let alone their products.