I found it well-written and interesting, but then again I tend to like the human-interest side of tech rather than reading up on the latest Kubernetes release.
Personal opinion of course, but exactly what I thought. I even tried skipping parts to see if it was going somewhere. It didn't. Tries to sound smart but it's all emptiness. No useful information. Useless anecdotes that fill space. Pretty much resumed by someone describing herself as technophile and technophobe. Tries to sound interesting and smart but totally fails at it.
Respectfully: I feel that you (and her) simply have different needs and likely different neurotypes. "useful information" is sought after by some neurotypes in their foraging. others seek narratives and relational understanding. it's all good. (i'm admittedly disappointed quite often in what feels to me a shallow read of purpose and intention on HN)
This resonates. I've got a job in tech I find fairly fulfilling and it pays super well. I work hard, which sometimes means long hours, but more often just means I'm constantly thinking about work at home. I'm able to take care of my family and put away money for the future. I want for basically nothing, and I totally recognize my privilege in that.
But I was a baker for a few years before getting into tech. And I'm a passionate gardener every summer. I love making games and building little technical systems and watching them go.
There's a part of me that wonders... maybe things would be nicer if I was to move out of the city and open a bakery. Or a brewery. Or take on some small contract work enough to fund my side projects and gardening habit. It would mean setting down my income, school options for my child, activities in the city, leaving my friends behind, etc.
It's difficult to reason about. There's a lot of emotional pulls in both directions. I totally understand the author spending a majority of their energy in switching jobs trying to even approach the problem of whether it's worth it. The easy part is quitting, the hard part is figuring out if one should quit.
Well, at least they got a bit creative in the click-bait headline. The whole 837 steps but actually 15 steps is a fun little twist. I wonder if someone has some data on the optimal click through number for numbers in headlines, and does it vary from industry to industry?
This resonated with me as well, but the unfortunate kernel of truth near the end is that the author had made enough money that she could afford to quit without knowing how she was going to make money.
I didn't click with this essay. I found it difficult to relate to someone who had such a position of power and privilege complaining about their job in the manner of a moody teenager. Also the repeated book self-promotion got on my nerves.
I’m not a fan of this line of thinking. Are those with high income and power not allowed to be unhappy? I’m sure there are plenty of people in a position similar to hers, and maybe her advice could help them advise their own decision making process.
This article made it to the top of HN because people resonate with the idea that quitting one's job is not so simple. As for the content of the article, which I tried my hardest to read, I found little nutrition therein.
Probably when your resume has something spectacular to overlook it. Also, congrats to the author: it's inspiring to see someone make such critical changes at this time of life.
Talk about crocodile tears. She was a VP at Google FFS! I could probably live work-free for 10 years on just a year of her compensation. Money may not buy happiness but it buys lots of time—time for hobbies, retirement, whatever else fulfills you. The source of fulfillment does not necessarily have to come from your job!
I know this isn’t popular here but “I’m making $500k a year in an air conditioned office but I’m sooooo sad” is a problem that 99.9% of the planet would trade places for in a heartbeat. Sorry, but some perspective is sorely needed.
Who flagged this? Why? This is a human story about relational context in the tech industry. The people who are saying "no content" are demonstrating a particularly skewed view of what gets to be considered content.
If by "human story" you mean someone griping about how their job sucks (as does their industry, more broadly), then yeah, it's definitely a human-interest story. It's mostly interesting for the little tidbit at the beginning about who's doing the griping.
Disagree. I feel there's tons in there -- it's just not laid out in a bullet point list of "do this" statements (or at least the list given is a punchline). For example, her approach to interviewing: That a high-level person has a "don't bullshit" approach to the interview process that got them to be VP of Google. Or the social proof that people at the top can be just as miserable and unfulfilled as the people below. It's not just griping -- it's normalizing and humanizing. Stories are powerful.
When did we became so creative to choose title for our blog posts. I liked it more old days when title was merely the shortest explanation of what you are going to read.
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[ 0.25 ms ] story [ 54.9 ms ] threadBut I was a baker for a few years before getting into tech. And I'm a passionate gardener every summer. I love making games and building little technical systems and watching them go.
There's a part of me that wonders... maybe things would be nicer if I was to move out of the city and open a bakery. Or a brewery. Or take on some small contract work enough to fund my side projects and gardening habit. It would mean setting down my income, school options for my child, activities in the city, leaving my friends behind, etc.
It's difficult to reason about. There's a lot of emotional pulls in both directions. I totally understand the author spending a majority of their energy in switching jobs trying to even approach the problem of whether it's worth it. The easy part is quitting, the hard part is figuring out if one should quit.
Otherwise for me it'd be a no-brainer. Metro land values are so high, you are just working for them and compromising hugely in what you are doing.
“Why do you like [Car Company]”?
“To be honest, I hate cars. I find them really boring.”
I know this isn’t popular here but “I’m making $500k a year in an air conditioned office but I’m sooooo sad” is a problem that 99.9% of the planet would trade places for in a heartbeat. Sorry, but some perspective is sorely needed.
In any case, you ought to be pleased that she quit and made room for someone else to work that dream job.
(How do I flag a flagging?)
Anyhow, I guess we can agree to disagree.