
Ask HN: What motivates you to do what you do? - ivanjovanovic
I&#x27;ve been in transition for a while, leaving a big enterprise and moving towards more independent work through own consulting business.<p>In the process I reflected a lot and one of the important topics I am trying to understand is about underlying motivations for my actions.<p>I can see what is going on in my head, that I tend to materialise some image of my future self, create value for the family and the environment I live in, position myself good for the future-needed skills, have joy in what I do, have more freedom to decide of my future direction ... there are many different triggers of motivation for my actions, but from time to time they seem random and misaligned.<p>As said, I can see what is going on in my head but I was curios about how others interpret and manage their motivations which trigger their actions.<p>Would be happy to have some insights into your heads if you may allow :)
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ruleabidinguser
That I need money and this is my best choice. I would guess 90+% of people who
say theres anything more to it than this are lying to you and probably
themselves. There are people with broader aspirations, but actually just
saying you have some deep passion is a part of the culture, and in most cases,
I don't think true.

~~~
cmorelli
I have to strongly, strongly disagree with this.

First, let's talk about your assertion - we're basically all just in this for
the money. If you want to make that claim, you have to be able to answer why.
Why is money important? Why would we do anything just for money? Money itself
is irrelevant, we only want it because of what we can get with it. So, let's
go a step further and figure out what we'll buy with that money. Sure, you're
going to buy things for yourself - most people likely will. But are they going
to spend it all on themselves? Most likely not. Many people will spend that on
gifts for their spouse, a vacation for their family, school for their
children, a new house or car to improve the lifestyle of their loved ones. All
of these things are honest reasons we justify spending our lives working - to
improve not just our own life, but the lives of those we love (and for many
great people in the world - the lives of people they've never met).

Second, let's go towards your statement that people just can't have a deep
passion for things. You're saying that people can't do something because
they're particularly interested in or dedicated to a particular issue? Ok,
explain Doctors Without Borders, the Boys & Girls Club of America, St. Jude
Children's Hospital, or literally any other charitable organization in the
world. Are its founders, low-paid employees (relative to market potential),
and unpaid volunteers just in this for the money also?

I'm keeping my cool here on this, because ultimately this is a comment and
we're all free to express our minds - but I'm offended by the assertion that
we can't care about anything other than money. And that's after you get past
the fact that the statement on its face doesn't actually make sense, because
none of us care about money - we only care about what we can get with it.

Edit: perhaps a bit of an overreaction to otherwise benign comments on behalf
of the OP. I still feel strongly about my comments here, but may have
misunderstood the intent of OP's statements.

~~~
ruleabidinguser
You need money to live. As for your other comments, I think you're misquoting
me.

~~~
cmorelli
"That I need money and this is my best choice. I would guess 90+% of people
who say theres anything more to it than this are lying to you and probably
themselves."

I'm not sure how I'm misquoting you here - you very clearly and plainly said
you assume 90%+ of people who say anything other than money is their
motivation are lying to you and themselves.

As for your comment that you need money to live - of course you do. That's a
far cry from your statement, which is that people are solely motivated by
money. The typical HN reader likely makes above the average salary, so they're
already past the point of working for enough of a salary to live, and they're
in the disposable income territory.

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robotnoises
Money. I work for a large Enterprise software company and we are not "changing
the world." That's fine, by the way, but the answer is money and it always has
been.

I have two young children at home and nothing is going to come close to making
me feel as fulfilled as being their father. Since we need money to live I have
to go away for 8-9 hours a day, working on CRUD applications and their
supporting systems. What keeps me in my seat is the money I can eventually
bring home to to my wife and children.

To a non-parent this may seem a somewhat bleak and uninspiring vision of what
we do as software developers, but the truth is that being able to provide for
my family is one of the most intensely satisfying enterprises I have ever
taken-on. It allows us to put good, healthy food on the table and live in a
neighborhood with walking trails and a nearby lake. My children sleep in
comfortable beds. The temperature in our home is always appropriate.

If I can't spend the bulk of my time with my family then next best thing is
producing money that directly benefits them.

~~~
JBlue42
Yeah, people won't admit it but not much has changed other than the marketing
that sells people on the jobs. Whether it's software development now or good-
paying factory work a while back (but not too far back...), most people would
like to try to work to live. If we lived in some sort of post-scarcity
society, people might "work" but it most likely wouldn't be as much and maybe
not exactly what you're doing now. There'd probably be a lot more polymaths
out there - people that wrote some programs for a few years then decide to
play guitar for a decade, etc etc.

~~~
thatwebdude
> There'd probably be a lot more polymaths out there - people that wrote some
> programs for a few years then decide to play guitar for a decade, etc etc.

I did that in reverse. Once I "make enough" I intend on going back.

~~~
JBlue42
That's great.

I spent a lot of my early 20s working then quitting to travel to other
countries. I've been bitten a little in my later twenties, now early-30s
having tried to "settle" down but ending up trying out a lot of different
careers. Now about 3-4 years into an "IT" career but working to leveraging
that into either contract and/or remote work in the future. Plus trying to
keep creative outside of it.

 _fingers crossed_

~~~
thatwebdude
Indeed that's good. You'll never know if you don't like it if you never try
it. Many say this age is the perfect time to try something new.

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harel
I'm motivated by Freedom. I have a goal to make myself and those around me
free from the burden of financial responsibility, and geographical and time
constraints. I don't want to have to do a job I don't want for money because I
have a mortgage or bills to pay. I don't want to be dictated where I need to
be in the world at any given time or how I should manage my time. I want this
freedom and I will get it, because I can. My aim is not to be filthy rich
(though I won't cry if by freak accident that happens). I just want to remove
3rd parties from having control over those particular freedoms.

Edit: At the same time, I am doing something I love to achieve this goal, so
even if it takes me longer than I expected, in the meanwhile I'm enjoying
myself and being compensated nicely for this.

~~~
stefek99
Just looked at your profile seeking contact details.

Similar motivations here.

Freedom... I think it is possible to create a company around a common set of
values?

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harel
I'm doing exactly that. Over the years my focus shifted from creating the One
Big Company in favour of multiple Small-Nimble-Company. As an aside, I should
probably update my contact details.

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edw519
The Happy Dance

You know the feeling, when you get something working for the first time.
Something that has never been done before and will never be done the first
time ever again. And you just did it. You received input, thought about it,
build it, tested it, changed it, stewed about it, agonized over it, redid it,
and finally, finally, got output. Often beyond your wildest expectations. And
you lept out of your chair and yelled, "Yeaaa!" and danced a little bit.

Sure, I have gotten this feeling from other things, from my writing, from my
comedy, from sex, from when the Penguins score a goal, and most often, from
others. But in the grand scale, those things rarely happen.

Writing software is different. I can Happy Dance all the time if I only set
myself up for it.

In the enterprise, I hardly ever Happy Danced. In my own business, I Happy
Danced almost every day. What more does one need for motivation?

~~~
AnimalMuppet
For me, it's that plus money. I need the money. But getting the money from
doing something where I also get to do the Happy Dance? Yeah, that's
wonderful.

There's a reason that my explicit career goal is never to become a manager. I
want to keep enjoying what I do.

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dejv
I guess I am past the need of motivation. I started coding more than 20 years
ago and back then it was all about that I want to really learn how to write
good software and create cool projects.

Today I am just happy to have few low pressure customers that I am maintaining
products for. I kind of feel like carpenter: sure I can make a table for you
and I know it will be quite good. It is not going to be the next big table
that is going to be displayed on front page of big Carpentry magazine. It is
going to be table for some basement, but thats ok.

I sometimes need more money for bigger purchases, (I am farmer now and
equipment is so expensive) which makes me return into high pressure of valley
development. And I must say that working in this environment it is always hard
to find motivation other then "it is soon going to be over".

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thomasknowles
Grown up working class, have parents which are older and still have to work in
awful jobs. Met many people who are just simply better than I am at most
things. So I just grind daily at it. I want to have an "out", not just me but
for my family and the people I care about.

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smrtinsert
I work to live and distribute time to items which nourish my soul and
encourage family wellness. Working towards these goals creates a feedback of
contentment for me - I'm in a good place and very happy about who and where I
am.

I've learned over time that means activities which give you energy: physical
fitness, creativity and relationship time (parenthood, spouse, friends, other
family etc) and less activities which draw energy from you, inebriation,
excessive video games, excess in any form (for example gluttony or work) etc.

I used to try to do projects 'for the money' in my spare time and inevitably I
would give up on them. For me, money is not a main driver. I have enough, and
toiling extra hours has no benefit for me.

~~~
brador
What are some creative activities you'd recommend?

~~~
smrtinsert
I'm currently learning piano on udemy. There are some great intro courses and
udemy frequently discounts for 10 dollars. Previously I've done watercolors
from them as well. I know they seem 'small', but I can't explain the thrill I
got doing something I previously thought was impossible.

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mikehollinger
At work, I enjoy tinkering and have the opportunity to go solve interesting
problems.

At home - I enjoy tinkering and that feeling of accomplishment with a job well
done, whether that's washing my car, or making my home automation system do
things that it wasn't intended to do.

If I think about it - these are both driven by a desire to be known as someone
who can "do things," i.e. "I want the credit." [1]

[1]
[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-5gWhJ3qY](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-5gWhJ3qY)

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s_kilk
Like everyone else, I sell my labour to capital in exchange for a living.

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alexanderson
There are two kinds of motivation. There is the desire for the project itself
and there is the desire to work on the project. I would be overjoyed if one
day, I pulled from master and found that the project I’m working on was
perfectly complete!

But until that day, I have to find some way to keep on plugging away:
planning, coding, testing, debugging, doing art, marketing, etc. It’s one of
those things that maintains momentum through good developer experience and
forcing myself to spend a little time on it every day.

And one day it will be done, and I’ll be able to step back and say “Wow. I
made a thing.” Honestly, I don’t know if it will be that great of a feeling.
But the anticipated satisfaction of a job well done, including the approval of
my customers, is something that motivates me.

I’ll add that family can be super motivating too. Of course, I want to provide
for them. But working on a side project and having your wife come by and say
“That looks cool” is a pretty good feeling.

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barrkel
Doing a good job with care, investing myself in the work. It doesn't matter if
no one sees it or appreciates it (though that's nice), it's important that
it's done well, with economy of design and good judgement for where to invest
some time in the code, and where to flesh out with less finishing.

Higher order goals are all well and good, but usually the best way to achieve
those is to make as much money as possible and then direct the money towards
the goals, rather than to change what you do and work on the higher order
goals directly. While working directly towards higher order goals might feel
more satisfying and meaningful, it's unlikely to be the most effective way of
making a difference if you've got good skills as an engineer.

My personal higher order goals aren't much more than to live the good life,
but being sure to live it - be in the moment, rather than living for some
tomorrow.

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contingencies
Learning and discovery. The satisfaction of scheming and realization. A less
trodden path. Not having to have a mortgage, be stuck in one location, to tow
a cultural line, or dress up or follow schedules. Knowing that you are leaving
the world a slightly better place.

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blabla_blublu
Software Engineer @ a big tech firm : I like the fact that the work engages me
to a reasonable degree. I am okay @ coding and I like it to an extent - it
keeps me engaged, which is a massive plus. My co-workers are fantastic, which
makes the job better. Needless to say, the money helps a lot, which lets me
enjoy my weekends and other times.

Ofcourse, I yearn for a life where I am free and completely in control, doing
something I like, but I really appreciate the fact that I have a job that
keeps me going as well.

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deepaksurti
1\. Freedom to use my time wisely. 2\. Fulfilment of my potential.

I try to visualize the end days and if I don't do 1 and 2, I will regret it.
That is what drives me to do whatever that I do today.

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indescions_2017
If your intrinsic motivations, which probably map closely to Maslow's
hierarchy of needs, are not aligned with your startup's strategy and goals,
then of course you are going to experience a feeling of being unmoored. The
answer is to deploy massive amounts of patience and energy in figuring out who
You are. In the immediate term, recognize you are not the only one with this
conflict and perhaps develop a set of "motivation management" tools to help
crystallize and make manifest your personal journey.

To help with understanding your place in the grand scheme, I'd also check out
this lecture by Michael Dearing from Reid Hoffman's Blitzscaling class at
Stanford:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCdfa_aeI8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCdfa_aeI8)

Although nominally about Creative Destruction and the capitalist work ethic,
it gets at the root of our entrepreneurial ambitions. There is a reason the
mission statements of the Erie Railway Company from 1857 and Facebook's circa
2017 sound so eerily similar. Their duty isn't to build train tracks between
cities or link nodes in the social graph. It's to spread knowledge, commerce
and communication deep into places that have never known it before.

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inopinatus
1\. Life is short and there's so much to do.

2\. I'm building a business and I have competitors who want to take my market
share.

Either of these two thoughts are enough to galvanise me. #2 in particular can
snap me wide awake with blood pumping and ideas firing.

Ultimately I am guided by the principle of least regret, although I find that
more useful as a decision making construct than a motivation tool.

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fb03
I strive for balance in my life, so what motivates me is the combination of
being able to solve complex problems using computer technology coupled with
the ability to properly care about my own physical self and the ones around me
(family, good friends).

I have been one of those workaholic people that only cared about amassing
money. No more.

~~~
ivanjovanovic
Thanks for the comment! This really reflects the way I started thinking about
it lately. Sorry for the investigative tone of the following question: Was
there anything in particular that enlightened you towards changing your
attitude or was it just through reflection and incremental adjustment of the
behaviour?

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krrishd
My motivations constantly change (and are therefore not the best foundation
for action), BUT, right now I'd say that I'm motivated by whatever enables me
to stay upwind.

I'm always finding myself interested in new things (and sometimes
disinterested in old passions), so I optimize my career and actions around
being able to freely engage with those "new things" without jeopardizing stuff
like my financial stability. I also try to be as broadly educated and capable
of learning so that those "new things" are never too difficult to immerse
myself in.

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DanBC
I want to make life better for people who are often marginalised.

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rayboy1995
I don't have a fear of change, I have a fear of staying the same. I have a
fear that I will be stuck in the same job for the next 40+ years. I don't want
that, I don't want to work for someone else, to have all my hard work on their
projects do more for them than it has for me. I am hoping to quit my job soon
and go off and do my own thing or die trying.

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kermittd
Seems like you have a career, unlike me, as I'm a student but I'll give it a
go.

-Doing and making something great via Human Computer Interaction

-Being hired as an intern at a technology company

-Generating money with a side project ie ramen profitable

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hnarayanan
Curiosity, and fear.

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nikentic
To get acknowledged for my skills and effort.

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kleer001
Bucking the existential weight that in the grand scope the life of a single
human is nothing.

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romanovcode
Currently - Money.

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SirLJ
2 things: the people I lead day to day and money, even with six figure salary,
they are never enough, that's why I have a side project I am going to retire
soon...

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tajd
Someone has to.

