How do you cope with being an employee?
Posted by the-scream-i-scrumpt@reddit | ExperiencedDevs | View on Reddit | 8 comments
I'm taking the low-risk option by working this job:
* at \~4-5 years of experience I'll be able to get a mortgage,
* in 4-5 years after that I'll be able to pay off that mortgage
* In 5 more years after that, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to retire
But that means I have to deal with:
* Working on some low-priority part of the codebase that isn't driving revenue
* The constant relentless self-praise from literally everyone at this company, like I'm in some sick cult
* Atrocious tech debt
* Working 996 just to not get fired during the latest AI hype cycle... and I'm not even doing important work!
The worst part is: I like this company better than any other company I've worked at. This is my 6th tech job!
(This isn't meant to be a vent post... Sorry for the gloom)
But all the while, I keep seeing people leave my company to create their own companies. And some of them work, some of them don't, but I feel something deep inside that says "you can do it!" I feel like the natural next step is to become a founder: I have all the hard skills I need to start [something in software], and I think I have the soft skills too.
I guess my concrete question is: at what point should I feel comfortable leaving the 9-5 job and starting my own thing?
And the more abstract question: how do I muster the courage to do that? Or not to do that... maybe it's a bad idea
upsidedownshaggy@reddit
I'd cope by knowing I can retire in 15 years at age 40 vs 40 years at age 65, like what? There's an extremely limited number of industries where that's even remotely possible. Like, I'm an employee with 4-5 YoE who could afford a mortgage, but certainly won't be able to pay it off in another 4-5 years, and certainly won't be able to retire 5 years after that.
If you're dead set on starting a company though but don't have the heart to just outright quit and full send it, build an MVP first in your spare time and shop it around to see if there's a market fit. If you get some traction and feel confident you can earn enough to support yourself then send it I guess.
willyridgewood@reddit
You have to weigh the risks and then figure out how passionate you are about the project you want to start.
I'm currently working a big-tech job because I have mouths to feed. It's a sacrifice. I'm not passionate about our product. My passion isn't really any product, it's learning. I still learn stuff after 20+ years. That is what makes it tolerable for me. Take work that is relatively more interesting and work 9-5.
I have previously worked at small startups, some were successful and some were not. The work life balance was not great at any of them. It would not be fair to my family nor to the startup for me to accept those roles right now.
mc-funk@reddit
Keep your job, read more communist and anarchism texts, start a union… all things that are easier and have better prospects in 2026 than quitting your job to start a company
ProfessorBamboozle@reddit
What type of mortgage are you getting that requires 5 years of work, then can be paid off in 5 years??? I'd run your numbers back
FlowOfAir@reddit
I cope with it by knowing I have a steady flow of cash in my pockets, knowing I'll have a roof and food tomorrow, and not worrying about all the BS that comes with founding a company. Plus, I can allocate free time and disconnect entirely once I've logged off. And I don't have to deal with external customers, too.
uniquesnowflake8@reddit
How many other founders do you know on a personal level? Having friends who do this convinced me it’s not the right path for me. And the problems they work on aren’t necessarily interesting, for example the work is largely basic table stakes, growth, marketing of its a consumer app
And, you can make more money at someone else’s company depending on how far in the future a liquidity event is
ExperiencedDevs-ModTeam@reddit
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This sub is for discussing issues specific to experienced developers.
Any career advice thread must contain questions and/or discussions that notably benefit from the participation of experienced developers. Career advice threads may be removed at the moderators discretion based on response to the thread."
General rule of thumb: If the advice you are giving (or seeking) could apply to a “Senior Chemical Engineer”, it’s not appropriate for this sub.
spdfg1@reddit
It comes down to what are your values? What do you want right now in your life? Set a goal based on your values and do things that help you achieve that goal. If buying a house is the goal do what enables that goal. Don’t worry about what others are doing because they value different things.