Ask HN: Those of you who've left the SWE world, what did you transition into?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Many software engineers describe feeling burned out, disillusioned with corporate politics, and frustrated by what they see as the infantilization of their industry, even as they acknowledge the high pay and relative comfort of SWE roles. In response, people report a wide range of moves: adjacent roles like sales engineering, project/product management, teaching, and technical training; radical shifts into trades, small manufacturing, investing, or running lifestyle businesses; and, for some, extended sabbaticals or early retirement funded by prior tech earnings. A recurring theme is the trade-off between financial security and personal meaning, with several arguing that a deliberate reset and clearer values are more important than any specific exit path.

Burnout, Fulfillment, and “Checking Out”

  • Many describe classic burnout: arguments over architecture, politics, endless ceremonies vs. little real building.
  • Some advocate “take a ticket, do the work, check out mentally” and treat SWE as a well‑paid, low‑meaning job.
  • Others find this soul‑killing: they want creative challenge, ownership, and alignment with their values, not just tickets.
  • A few explicitly say they can’t coast without feeling like they’re “rotting” or being fraudulent.

Team Dynamics, Ego, and Infantilization

  • Frequent complaints about big egos, “one true way” engineers, and coworkers who block but don’t ship.
  • Some see responsibility diffused: successes and failures are blamed on “design” or “requirements,” not individuals.
  • “Infantilization” is described as perks, gamification and tone‑deaf humor instead of real autonomy, tools, or accountability.

Staying in Tech but Changing Role/Context

  • Popular pivots: engineering management, TPM, project management, product design, corporate training, teaching CS, sales engineering / solutions engineering, customer‑facing consulting.
  • Sales engineering is repeatedly highlighted as fitting people/strategy‑oriented ex‑SWE: technically deep, customer‑facing, good pay, but “always on” and comp below top sales reps.
  • Some move to non‑profit, public sector, or “boring” but stable roles for less pressure and better alignment.

Leaving SWE for Other Paths

  • Examples: manufacturing physical goods at home (laser cutters, woodworking), construction/carpentry, aerospace, acting, criminal investigation, climate‑tech investing, running small businesses (bookstore, coffee shop, dog grooming), jewelry, bookstores, travel blogging, blue‑collar “lifestyle businesses.”
  • Many warn these are usually lower‑pay, higher risk, or physically taxing; often viable only with savings or a partner’s income.

Money, Risk, and FIRE

  • Strong theme: nothing matches SWE for pay/comfort/accessibility; big lifestyle cuts are often required to leave.
  • Some describe “retiring” in ~6 years via high comp + equity + extreme saving; others call this lottery‑like and not generally reproducible.
  • Advice to save aggressively while comp is high to buy optionality later.

Sabbaticals, Mental Health, and Reassessment

  • Multiple people recommend 6–12+ month sabbaticals to distinguish true career misfit from burnout.
  • One commenter notes that even long breaks don’t guarantee clarity without intentional structure and goals.
  • The thread includes accounts of severe distress, homelessness, and suicidality, underscoring how badly tech burnout and life crises can intertwine.