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Ask HN: Coping with a lack of interest?

5 points by junkie ↗ HN
What's a code hungry developer to do when he's stuck working on projects he doesn't find interesting? My job has become really tedious lately working on things in which I have no personal interest. I work at a company that sometimes requires traveling to work at trade shows which is fun but also incredibly stressful, especially if we are behind and forced to work 95+ hours in a week before the show to get it done.

I've always loved programming and find it immensely fun and rewarding, but my current job has almost made me lose interest in programming itself. I've been considering leaving for a startup type deal (I'm fairly close to NY so the opportunity is there) but I haven't found anything cool yet. I love the idea of getting behind something I truly believe in, but I'm not sure a startup would be any less stressful than my current position. On the other hand, I consider myself fairly competent, but am only using a small fraction of my potential here.

Is there any real balance to it all that I should know about and do you have any tips on dealing with a lack of interest?

/throwaway to protect employment

4 comments

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davidandgoliath
Work less, if feasible, and stop going to trade-shows if they're not helping you get your job done (unless it is that integral to your job) especially if they are merely adding stress.

The idea of a start-up fixing the burnt out feeling is probably a pipe dream at most. //quasi-burnt-out-CEO

junkie
Work should be calming down now, so I'll be less busy until the fall. But all that means is that my boss will have working on even more things I find boring, but with shorter hours, until trade show season sparks up again.

And yeah, unfortunately attending (and working) the trade shows is mandatory.

I can handle stress, it's just hard to handle it when I don't care about the things I'm making. I feel like a startup with an interesting product could alleviate that...

davidandgoliath
That last part is certainly true. Find a product you like & apply :)
dholowiski
If your job is causing you to lose interest in the things you love, you might need to get a new job. I've been there, many times, and done that.