> I was terrified of the life that apparently awaited me if I failed at my task of making money, so I feel like I just kind of panicked and chose engineering si

> I was terrified of the life that apparently awaited me if I failed at my task of making money, so I feel like I just kind of panicked and chose engineering since I was interested in computers. Now after studying hard and getting a high paying job writing software, I can safely say I am completely unfulfilled. Put it this way: You made money for a company that you do not own, rather than making money for yourself. The time that you put into doing that, you cannot get it back no matter how much money you make. The fiat currency that is used to pay salaries is slowly getting debased + worthless over time additionally with tax rises along with that which depending on the currency, this is why many people are always asking for $400k+, $600k+ staff engineer roles to keep up with inflation and house prices. Reality is, they end up keeping a lot less money every year, which is why they are very unhappy no matter the amount they make. > What can I do about this? If you want more money without the scamble, self-employment is the way to go or just build a startup that you own and move to a very low tax environment where you keep a lot more money and freedom. This is the only risk worth taking. Otherwise, prepare to compete against thousands of other candidates for that single $500k+ role which comes with politics, layoffs and zero freedom.