I understand everything you said almost too well. The solution, for me, has been to only work for small businesses (ie, startups) or to find a way to work for m

I understand everything you said almost too well. The solution, for me, has been to only work for small businesses (ie, startups) or to find a way to work for myself. PG described the benefits of working in small groups in another essay (last year), and I find it all to ring true. An HNer who commented below said one other possibility is finding work you're overqualified for, which can be an option, too. This would allow you to do non-challenging work while being able to challenge yourself in other ways in your off time. If you combine this with working online, you may find it to be the solution to your woes. I often say, "I don't care what I do, per se, I care about what that work situation allows me to do" (in my off time, in how I control my time, in where and how I can live).