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

Hacker News Discussion ↗

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.