 |
| Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like? | ||
| recommended by 2 users | 2019 | 670 points by throwaway1m | company culture | original thread | | ||
I've spent the last decade in two FANG companies, and I've got to a high level where my total compensation is ridiculous. The problem is that it bores me to tears, and I don't want to do it anymore. At first thought, maybe I am burned out? However, I can still come home and write code for a side-project, so I don't think this is "burn-out". I don't know to be honest. I think the best description is that I am cynical of the "mission", and I can't connect my work to people I care about. How do I know what the source of the problem is? However, I wanted to pose two questions. First, what is the environment like for exiting high-level former-FANG employees? Second, what are some of the surprises post-FANG that I would be in for if I wanted to start a company? Thank you for your time. | ||
| 2 users recommended this thread. What they said: |
| dunkelheit Oct 26, 2020 | on: Surviving Disillusionment | context |
|
Jach Nov 29, 2019 | on: Ask HN: Burning Out | context
I don't think you're fully burnt out yet. You'll know you've hit the bottom when you actually can't program anymore, even for your own kicks in limited bursts. (You're already severely heat damaged though if limited bursts either for work or 'fun' are all you've got left.) Your will for it just won't be there and you'll really, actually do anything else, not just think about how nice it might be. If you do reach that point, you're probably going to need a year of recovery before you can even think about programming again, and two to make a recovery that you could at least again be employable. (You might or might not eventually regain your old levels of productivity.) If you're just heat damaged, you should still take some recovery time, since sustained heat damage is how you get full burnout. My only advice is don't let yourself get to that point. Sounds like quitting is the easiest way to avoid that right now. It's what I would do -- a friend left a toxic mid-stage place (in different ways, but ultimately stemming from a team lead) not too long ago, too. If you have stock options, hope you have nice terms that let you keep them without exercising for a long time, just in case the company is lucky. But if not, don't let them handcuff you -- money can be had elsewhere. Don't worry about the career. Even a year gap is fine. Maybe try a BigCo for a while, where the pressures tend to be lighter and switching teams is often an option rather than switching companies when you run into a toxic situation. (Of course BigCo has its own caveats -- you might enjoy reading this recent thread https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21645117 ) |
| Also recommended by people who recommended this: | ||
| 1. | Why I Quit Google to Work for Myself (mtlynch.io) | |
| recommended by 3 users | 2018 | 1767 points by mtlynch | original thread | | ||
| 2. | “I'm going to be a heretic and argue that the problem with cancer research is institutional, not biological.” (comment) | |
| recommended by 1 user | 2012 | moldbug on: Why haven't we cured cancer yet? | original thread | | ||
| 3. | “This will never, ever, ever happen.” (comment) | |
| recommended by 2 users | 2014 | dropit_sphere on: How to be a sane programmer | original thread | | ||
Seems like discussing burnout and disillusionment with tech is a perennial HN favorite. I've bookmarked a lot of great threads and comments on this topic. Some of my favorites:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22862570
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21645117
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16483241
Going to bookmark this one too :)