
There is no retirement - nachopg
http://diegobasch.com/there-is-no-retirement 
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rufugee
I share this sentiment...for me, retirement is not the freedom from work, but
the freedom to work on what I chose. Life would be boring without
productivity. Additionally, as I age, I've felt a gradually stronger internal
pull towards _meaningful_ work.

The thing that terrifies me about the technology industry as a whole is that
it plays favorites to the young, yet it's the only field I've ever truly been
passionate about. I'm approaching 40 and have reached the executive level,
which is great...yay. However, will I still be working in tech when I'm 70? I
want to, but will companies let me? I doubt it.

It bothers me to think that the only way I'll be able to continue to work in
the field I love dearly is to go my own way and start my own company. Hey,
that's what I want to do anyway, but it'd be nice if that were simply an
option rather than a requirement (and, even nicer if it odds were in favor of
it happening successfully).

Best of luck to all of you aging techies who are in my boat (or further
along). This industry is a harsh mistress.

~~~
brc
The inescapable conclusion is that, if you want to be in the industry as you
go along, you have to be largely, if not totally, in control.

To me this means always being at the value creating edge - whether this is in
creating companies and products, or being indispensable to those who are. How
you do that is the challenge - could be capital, could be contacts, could be
experience or just a proven track record of having some clarity in the dim
view that is the future.

You seem to realise that relying on a career and job security might be risky.
That's probably true. The only way to mitigate that particular risk is to
start spreading the risk around into other areas - like starting a company
now. That's not a prescription to dump all and start again, but looking at
your current career trajectory with a critical eye is certainly a good idea.

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kghose
Your post touched me because my father, though retired, was also a very active
man right up to the end. Towards the end much of his energy was directed
towards taking care of my mother. He had a heart attack when my mother passed
away and was bedridden for a while. I was amazed at how he clawed back from
near death, going back to taking care of his finances and maintaining the
household. Alas, he died 8 months after my mother. When I came back to the
house the last time he was in hospital I noted how carefully he had organized
everything which had been such a mess when I had last left (created mostly by
me as I tried to go through my mother's papers to put some stuff in order). He
was 76 and in his manner of leaving (I really like that word) he taught me as
much about life as he had done when he was here.

~~~
jaems33
I'm sorry for your loss. Losing two parents so close to one another must've
been very difficult.

~~~
kghose
Thanks for your sympathy. It was hardest on Dad. After mom's passing dad and I
got very close. I got to know him a lot better the last few months of his
life.

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gruseom
I'm very sorry, Diego. You have got to be in shock right now. I wish you well
getting through it.

My father left last year (though not so unexpectedly). It changes one.

~~~
diego
Thanks.

~~~
veb
I thought it was a wonderfully written tribute, and I agree with all your
points - why stop if you're enjoying yourself.

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nickbauman
Diego, your dad sounds like he was a good man and he looked very happy. My
brother left unexpectedly too. Last year. He was only 46. He left a much
bigger impression on me than even I expected. You will probably find out just
how big your father was, too, and it will stun you for quite a while. So: Be
here, now. You won't get another chance.

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EricDeb
I'm sorry for your loss but to some degree the premise seems a bit idealistic.
I have a hard time believing the myth that there are people who truly enjoy
every aspect of a job. If one is lucky they enjoy a portion of it. For example
I love programming most of the time but sometimes I simply do not feel like
doing work that needs to be done.

The true ideal in my mind is semi-retirement. Work less, less often, and if
you don't feel like working simply don't. Adjust your schedule so it is
absolutely to your liking - show up at 10 AM leave at 3 PM, etc. Peoples
careers should degrade gracefully, not come to a crashing halt like we've come
to embrace in our society

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EvaPeron
Steve Jobs talked about looking in the mirror in the morning and thinking
about one's forthcoming day, and that if what one was about to do that day,
would not be what one wanted to do, were it the last day of one's life, and if
that scenario played on for too many days in a row, it was time to do
something else. It is true, I think, that if one really loves what one does,
one would not want to "retire", and hence, "leaving" is the only thing that
occurs, not "dying". Good post, and condolences for your loss.

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Moseman23
Diego,

Your post just knocked me on my keyster. Beautiful writing. It is absolutely
relevant to hackers because all of us have parents, and we need to look at how
they've lived their lives and figure out how we will live as we age. The
prospect of retirement is terrifying; I expect that the concept as we know it
is dead; we have to come up with another model that befits the time.

------
bradshaw1965
Financial freedom is a hedge against the loss of your human capital. Most
people dramatically overestimate the continuity of their human capital and are
surprised when it starts to diminish. It's a great thing that a certain
percentage of people remain vital their entire lives, but you can't count on
it.

------
ricky_clarkson
I'm a native English speaker living in Argentina, and yours is the first
English writing I've seen by an Argentine that is enjoyable (I read some of
your other posts) and doesn't contain errors, and that includes people who
were schooled bilingually.

Is there anything in particular that pushed you over the edge beyond fluent?

~~~
zfran
that's weird. Come around reddit.com/r/argentina and you'll see the same kind
of writing quality.

~~~
ricky_clarkson
Thanks for the link. While that looks interesting I was talking about English
writing by Argentines, whereas that subreddit is almost entirely in Spanish.

~~~
zfran
Sorry for the late reply. Yes, it's 80% in Spanish but now and then some
foreigner comes asking questions in English and that gives place to lengthy
threads in English, mostly written by argentines.

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PakG1
This is a great post, and I hate to put a damper on things, but the title
makes me think of something else I've been feeling in my gut for a while.

Retirement is not going to be an option for many future generations. The cost
of living is getting too high, while salaries for many industries are falling
too low.

This gut feeling first appeared in me when I saw GM renegotiate pension plans
with its retirees. If even defined benefit pensions can be renegotiated, what
is the actual rate of return on those suckers? Is it enough for anything? And
it's not like I trust mutual funds, housing, or anything else to be much
better anymore.

So I come to the conclusion that lifelong work will become a necessity for
most. Retirement will be a luxury.

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arocks
I think there is a great message here. Most entrepreneurs I speak to believe
that they must quit and start a company as soon as possible (early thirties?)
or else they will never be able to start one.

I think this is a fallacy. My dad became an entrepreneur in his early forties
and many other much later. It is not really a matter of age anymore in modern
societies. It is about how sharp you keep yourself as you age.

Probably if you are a startup kind of person (as opposed to sustaining a
company kind of person), you would be starting companies even in your
nineties. It is never too late. It is just how old you feel.

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Henwys
Great points, I appreciate the mindset that you and your dad share. I agree
completely. I want to be financially stable enough to retire, but I would
never want to stop accomplishing things.

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WiseWeasel
This is a moving story; I would tend to agree that he is fortunate to have
been doing what he loved, with those he loved, even if he was taken before his
time. I recently witnessed my grandfather going through years of idle physical
and mental deterioration until he passed, though at a considerably more
advanced age, and it was difficult for us, his family, and I'm sure especially
for him to go through as well. I am sorry for your loss.

------
loceng
The concept of retirement is flawed. What should be fostered in society is
lifelong learning, wellness, and mentoring those around you.

~~~
yardie
It wasn't flawed. It was a necessity until very recently. Most people in the
tech field fail to realize that most "jobs" are actually back breaking
physical labor. Whether that is working a mile underground or standing on your
feet for 8 hours. It beats the body up. So you pound the pavement for 40+
years until your body says I can't do this anymore. Now what do you do? You
exit the circuit and let another person pound it out for 40 years.

And that is what retirement is about for most people. Not you complaining that
tech companies won't hire you. But you've been doing this too long and your
back is shot.

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nuje
It's not as black and white as having a shitty vs fulfilling job. Many (most?)
retirees are coming from ok jobs and are conflicted but positive about
retiring, seeing it as a transition to antother phase of life.

The workaholic is a special type of person.

Edit: to add, I do understand how it's important for people to feel useful,
and I agree it's a good idea to stay active after retirement.

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hongquan
Condolences for your loss Diego. I think your post best sums up what I call
"life's work". We are lucky when we find it.

And I need to call my Dad.

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tomcam
A lovely tribute, and a view of retirement that matches mine completely. One
might also add simply that, Calvinistic though this may be, work is good for
us. My father retired at 59 for reasons that are still unclear to me (he loved
his job) and died a year later.

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jmathai
I'm sorry for your loss but I think your father would be happy with the legacy
he left behind.

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gyurisc
It is wonderfully written! Thank you for sharing... I am very sorry for your
loss!

