

Knowing When It’s Time to Move On - dohertyjf
https://medium.com/lessons-learned/6c5b8f6e6908

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austinz
I hope someone writes a "I've decided to move on from 'finding myself' and get
a nice job at a big prestigious software company" article, as a way to close
the loop.

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dohertyjf
It's an interesting thought and I wonder how many of us who make money on the
Internet and spend our days working for smaller companies will actually end up
working for corporations. But, we should also note that you can keep working
on side projects while working for a big corporation. This also is not the end
of the world, depending on who you are. Some, that will kill their soul. For
others, it's a great way to have stability and also get to work on what you
love.

That said, it's not the end of the world. A big company can afford many things
- incredible monetary backing to ship new things, a large support ring, and
also stability. I've often railed on the choices of our parents to live in
suburbia, but the older I get I realize that I could see myself living in a
decent sized house with some land.

Thanks to Ryan for writing the post and getting this discussion started.

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austinz
I always thought to some extent, that working at a large company (under very
particular circumstances) could provide you with the resources and connections
necessary to work on a side project/future startup at your leisure, without
having to deal with the pressure of rapidly-draining funding or extraordinary
levels of stress before you're ready.

Some big tech companies even provide support for people who want to do this
(of course, under certain constraints, and to a certain extent).

Then again, if you're comfortable at a big company and working on something as
a hobby or side project, the impetus to get it done and move quickly isn't
there as well. Plus, a steady, large income produces a sort of complacency and
tendency towards a more expensive lifestyle that would be hard to sustain once
you leave again. So I guess it's a double-edged sword.

Also, if you do this, it has to be at a company where the environment and the
work you do isn't toxic, but rather something you enjoy. While I was at
another company doing work I really didn't like, I thought to myself that I'd
compensate by working on a side project. I was only fooling myself, because
when I got home I was so bored, tired, and frustrated that I had no energy to
do anything technical. Different personality types might cope differently,
though.

~~~
vonmoltke
> Also, if you do this, it has to be at a company where the environment and
> the work you do isn't toxic, but rather something you enjoy. While I was at
> another company doing work I really didn't like, I thought to myself that
> I'd compensate by working on a side project. I was only fooling myself,
> because when I got home I was so bored, tired, and frustrated that I had no
> energy to do anything technical. Different personality types might cope
> differently, though.

Absolutely. I stayed too long at a defense contractor where the environment
was a slow-drip toxin that eventually sapped my will to do anything outside
work not related to history or wargaming. Throw in anxiety and personal issues
I refused to seek help for due to the stigma of psychological treatment in a
secure environment, and I was a mess. I'm in a better place now, but still
recovering from the low point.

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ryandrake
This one, and yesterday's Google one. Honestly, I'm not sure I understand
these posts...

* "I'm leaving my job because I'm underpaid." = I get it

* "I'm leaving my job because my boss is an ass." = I get it

* "I'm leaving my job for a more prestigious company." = I get it

* "I'm leaving my job because I lost passion and am not learning." = ???

If you want passion, try volunteering or get a hobby. If you want to learn,
there are plenty of opportunities to do so outside of work. These are problems
that can be solved without jeopardizing your ability to put food on the table.

Introspection is great for its own sake, but to me it's a little weird to mix
it all up with your employment. Work is a financial transaction/relationship.
You trade your labor for compensation. When did it become something we have to
love and wrap up so much of our self-image into?

~~~
spacemanaki
> When did it become something we have to love and wrap up so much of our
> self-image into?

When we started spending 50, 60 hours a week at work. Even at 40 hours a week,
it's exhausting to try to find any real time to devote to hobbies and
"extracurricular" learning outside of work. If you feel like you're
stagnating, feeling like you're wasting those 40 hours of life every week, why
stay, just because "work is a financial transaction" ?

~~~
jfoutz
This is absolutely it. When you're happy and engaged, it's easy to burn
through 60 hour weeks, year after year. But when that passion starts to fade
12 hour days are an express ticket to burnout.

~~~
BSousa
I'll call bull.

No matter how much passion, 60 hours a week year after year will destroy your
personal/social life, and most likely your health as well.

Happy or sad, 12 hours a day is not sustainable and specially not something we
should look forward to just because 'I love my job' crap

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siliconc0w
Mobile gaming start-ups - creating a more optimized Skinner Box one derivative
app at a time. Run and Don't look back.

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amberes
I feel his pain... unfortunately, I've got a family to feed. 15-20 years
earlier, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't give it a 2nd thought.

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ibejoeb
Sorry to go OT, but does anyone have any tips for making Medium tolerable? It
can't be just me. Half the time nothing shows up. When it does, it takes 10
seconds. What is so tricky about black text on a white background? I'm
genuinely interested.

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mw67
persistence my friend is the most important asset you can count on.

