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What will you do after tech? (Lobste.rs Thread)
Tech workers are increasingly envisioning retirement as a shift toward hands-on physical labor, creative pursuits, or teaching rather than staying in the industry.
What: A Lobste.rs community discussion highlights that developers frequently avoid traditional retirement in favor of transitioning to fields like environmentalism, farming, or education to escape burnout and corporate culture.
Why it matters: This trend reflects widespread disillusionment with the rapid pace, hyper-competitive nature, and perceived lack of human-centric goals in modern tech companies, particularly following the recent rise of AI.
Deep dive
- Many developers feel they have a limited 'employability clock' in tech.
- Burnout is often attributed to organizational politics and management rather than the act of coding itself.
- Several participants expressed interest in the energy transition sector as a more meaningful application of technical skills.
- A common sentiment is that the tech industry, driven by VC interests, has become increasingly disconnected from values that align with experienced, older engineers.
- Many contributors are planning for post-tech careers as a means to regain mental space and autonomy.
- There is significant anxiety regarding AI's impact on job longevity and the future of human-centered software engineering.
Decoder
- DDD (Domain-Driven Design): A software development approach that prioritizes creating complex models based on the core business problem.
- BLIP protocol: A binary-encoded messaging protocol designed for low-latency communication.
- SS7 (Signaling System No. 7): A set of telephony signaling protocols used to set up and tear down phone calls.
Original article
It's very rare for someone to retire from the tech industry - they usually just burn out and then go do something else.
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