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Every job I ever had in tech was basically terrible and I was never diagnosed, but I suspect was clinically depressed for the 13 years or so I was in tech. I d

Every job I ever had in tech was basically terrible and I was never diagnosed, but I suspect was clinically depressed for the 13 years or so I was in tech. I did not have the savings to do it, but I eventually quit and became a bicycle mechanic. I actually enjoy what I do now, and the work environment doesn't have me constantly jumping back and forth between panic, undirected rage, and extreme listlessness like tech always did. That being said, I'm now broke and probably going to lose my house, so there is that.

keyle 4y ago
Oh I just read your comment and I want to tell you that I read it. I wish you better luck around the corner. I know tech depression, I wish you all the best going forward.
MrBuddyCasino 4y ago
my brother did something similar - quit tech because he was burned out, went to the next best bicycle shop and asked if they'd like to hire him, now he owns the place and has ~80 employees
- OccamsMirror 4y ago
  That brother's name? Albert Einstein.
  - MrBuddyCasino 4y ago
    This is not uncommon in the more blue-collar businesses. Many boomers now retire, and they often can't find a suitable successor. Most ambitious young people are being led down a different path via university, so there is a real unmet need in less glorious, but nevertheless still profitable fields. Btw he wasn't gifted the company, he had to buy it from the owners of course - still a good deal.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      If you get to know small business owners in these areas, you find that a large number of them have NOBODY to take over the business, for love OR money. Being a competent employee and you'd be surprised what can happen.
      - antisthenes 4y ago
        Of course they want someone to "take over" the business while keeping most of the business profits, while you are essentially just an employee. For a small business, if you are really looking for someone to take over, you need to offer them a stake in the business, otherwise why would I bother working my ass off? I can make the same or more money just being a grunt in a large corp with much less risk and much more stability.
        bombcar 4y ago
        That's the thing, they often get to the point where they'll give the business away to you if you show any interest. Sometimes they find someone, often they just close down when the owner gets too old.
gavinray 4y ago
Why are you going to lose your house? You bought it while you had tech money and the bicycle mechanic money can't pay for it now? Have you considered doing some consulting or something on the side? So sorry to hear this.
- SamWhited 4y ago
  yah, I have the tinniest cheapest house pretty far outside of the city but the mortgage is just too much without roommates (which is how all my coworkers afford apartments), but it's small enough that I really don't want to do that I've tried to do some consulting work, but never could figure out how to get any clients. Apparently this is a thing people do somehow, but everyone I asked just knew somebody to get their first ones.
  - ProllyInfamous 4y ago
    Same thing (on the housing situation)... except I'm currently in fear of losing my home to an active landslide that just recently took out my septic. Currently been using a portable toilet, for weeks, with no end in sight. Perfect metaphor for the mid-life crisis that's fortunately been co-happening during this same shit period =P Currently seeking land with less of a view, and more solid foundations.
    - SamWhited 4y ago
      "shit period", pun intended? Jokes aside, good luck, so far I've been really lucky and haven't had any major house issues, that's super tough.
- shaman1 4y ago
  Have you considered cashing out? Meaning selling the house so you get you equity back. Maybe you can use that to move somewhere more affordable and start over.
  - SamWhited 4y ago
    I've thought about it, but I don't think that's actually an option. Renting is just going back to throwing money into some asshole landlord making profit off of other people not wanting to be houseless, and everywhere else where I'd have any possible desire to live is getting more and more expensive too, so even though I'm lucky in that my house has gone up a lot it doesn't actually do me any good if I want to buy again and I'd just be wasting that equity slowly by renting (and then be back in the same position in a few years having burnt all that equity up). Might as well try and figure out a way to stay instead; if I fail and lose it I'll just be in the same position I otherwise would be in, just a few years earlier.
makerofthings 4y ago
> constantly jumping back and forth between panic, undirected rage, and extreme listlessness That a great summary of working in big tech.

keyle 4y ago

Oh I just read your comment and I want to tell you that I read it. I wish you better luck around the corner. I know tech depression, I wish you all the best going forward.

MrBuddyCasino 4y ago

my brother did something similar - quit tech because he was burned out, went to the next best bicycle shop and asked if they'd like to hire him, now he owns the place and has ~80 employees

OccamsMirror 4y ago
That brother's name? Albert Einstein.
- MrBuddyCasino 4y ago
  This is not uncommon in the more blue-collar businesses. Many boomers now retire, and they often can't find a suitable successor. Most ambitious young people are being led down a different path via university, so there is a real unmet need in less glorious, but nevertheless still profitable fields. Btw he wasn't gifted the company, he had to buy it from the owners of course - still a good deal.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    If you get to know small business owners in these areas, you find that a large number of them have NOBODY to take over the business, for love OR money. Being a competent employee and you'd be surprised what can happen.
    - antisthenes 4y ago
      Of course they want someone to "take over" the business while keeping most of the business profits, while you are essentially just an employee. For a small business, if you are really looking for someone to take over, you need to offer them a stake in the business, otherwise why would I bother working my ass off? I can make the same or more money just being a grunt in a large corp with much less risk and much more stability.
      - bombcar 4y ago
        That's the thing, they often get to the point where they'll give the business away to you if you show any interest. Sometimes they find someone, often they just close down when the owner gets too old.

gavinray 4y ago

Why are you going to lose your house? You bought it while you had tech money and the bicycle mechanic money can't pay for it now? Have you considered doing some consulting or something on the side? So sorry to hear this.

SamWhited 4y ago
yah, I have the tinniest cheapest house pretty far outside of the city but the mortgage is just too much without roommates (which is how all my coworkers afford apartments), but it's small enough that I really don't want to do that I've tried to do some consulting work, but never could figure out how to get any clients. Apparently this is a thing people do somehow, but everyone I asked just knew somebody to get their first ones.
- ProllyInfamous 4y ago
  Same thing (on the housing situation)... except I'm currently in fear of losing my home to an active landslide that just recently took out my septic. Currently been using a portable toilet, for weeks, with no end in sight. Perfect metaphor for the mid-life crisis that's fortunately been co-happening during this same shit period =P Currently seeking land with less of a view, and more solid foundations.
  - SamWhited 4y ago
    "shit period", pun intended? Jokes aside, good luck, so far I've been really lucky and haven't had any major house issues, that's super tough.
shaman1 4y ago
Have you considered cashing out? Meaning selling the house so you get you equity back. Maybe you can use that to move somewhere more affordable and start over.
- SamWhited 4y ago
  I've thought about it, but I don't think that's actually an option. Renting is just going back to throwing money into some asshole landlord making profit off of other people not wanting to be houseless, and everywhere else where I'd have any possible desire to live is getting more and more expensive too, so even though I'm lucky in that my house has gone up a lot it doesn't actually do me any good if I want to buy again and I'd just be wasting that equity slowly by renting (and then be back in the same position in a few years having burnt all that equity up). Might as well try and figure out a way to stay instead; if I fail and lose it I'll just be in the same position I otherwise would be in, just a few years earlier.

makerofthings 4y ago

> constantly jumping back and forth between panic, undirected rage, and extreme listlessness That a great summary of working in big tech.