As a small business owner and a programmer, I may be offer some perspective--although I'm not sure if I have any answers. First, it is my experience that for t

As a small business owner and a programmer, I may be offer some perspective--although I'm not sure if I have any answers. First, it is my experience that for the bulk of people, and many programmers, that their job is all about salary and benefits. Those people wouldn't do well in startup culture, but they are great for 'big business'. I can honestly say I wouldn't be working with any of my current client base if there wasn't some type of monetary compensation built into our contract. For some people, the most important parts of their life happen when they leave work and go home. I have yet to figure out if I envy those people or hate them. Are you bad at choosing jobs? I would say no! It sounds like you are following your passion and interests. That is awesome, I commend you. Are you too demanding toward the companies that hire you? I'm not sure. It sounds to me like you may have trouble empathizing with other departments / people about their responsibilities and challenges. I don't think people are capable of understanding the issues around sales or contract negotiations or corporate viewpoint until you do it. Are you mentally unstable? I am not able to judge; but you may consider seeking help if you are concerned about this. Are you unrealistic? It sounds to me like during the interview / honeymoon stage you are "eating the dog food" which is slang for believing the hype. It sounds like you going all in. But, hype is just hype; and when reality isn't as rosy as it appears, it is shocking to you. The hardest thing I find as a business owner is promoting the hype/ideas/ideals while still being aware of the imperfections and problems in what I offer. You, basically, need to be two-faced. Be both positive and negative. Be Idealistic and realistic. It sounds as if you may be going from one extreme to the other; but may benefit from a more balanced approach to the companies you work for. Are you a 'normal bullshit intolerant guy'? I'm not sure what normal is. But, don't make the mistake of thinking everything you don't like is bullshit.