I’ve spent the last 15 years working for startups and before that was doing software development for agencies, and I don’t think I can do the deadline driven pressure cooker work I’ve experienced in both of those anymore. Getting work done lately has been an incredible struggle — which just compounds the stress as things build up. I recently had a kid I would really like to be able to spend time with him without have work stress in the back of my mind, or being worried that I’m going to get pulled away to deal with a production incident.

I am still at a startup currently, mostly coasting on my previous reputation as someone who got stuff done and because I have no idea what do next. Getting a different job in a startup or an agency sounds like the last thing I want right now. From what I’ve heard big tech is not all that much different, and a non-tech programming job sounds like it’d be boring/horrible in a different way.

Software engineers who’ve experienced burnout — were you able to get past it and find a job you enjoyed in tech? Or did you have success switching careers entirely?

There is a discussion on Hacker News, but feel free to comment here as well.