6 months ago, I left the bullshit industrial complex

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Disillusionment with Tech & Big Companies

  • Many relate to leaving big tech or “the industry” due to cynicism, rent‑seeking, and value extraction over solving real human problems.
  • Several contrast the 90s’ techno‑optimism (“enough tech to help, not enough to dominate”) with today’s attention harvesting, surveillance, and platform monopolies.
  • Some still see this as a “golden age” (fertility tech, self‑driving taxis, LLMs, VR, open source), arguing pessimism may reflect aging more than tech itself.

AI, Automation & the “Laundry vs Art” Meme

  • Long debate over the quip: “I want AI to do my chores, not my art.”
  • One side: It captures frustration that tech automates joy (creative work) instead of drudgery (housework), and symbolizes misaligned incentives.
  • Others: Call it clickbait, note laundry/dishwasher machines already exist, and argue AI isn’t stopping anyone from making art—only changing paid markets.
  • Class issues surface: wanting to escape menial labor is seen by some as “classist,” others reject romanticizing such work while affirming dignity for workers.

Labor, Inequality & Capitalism

  • Multiple comments tie modern tech to shifting income from labor to capital and eroding the middle class, citing falling labor share of income.
  • Others counter that technology historically enabled a middle class and that inequality itself isn’t necessarily harmful; policy and access to capital are key.
  • Discussion of gig economy and “platformization” as mechanisms to underpay workers, sidestep labor laws, and concentrate power.

Advertising, Platforms & Surveillance

  • Strong sentiment that computing has become an arm of advertising and psychological manipulation, with attention and data as primary extractive targets.
  • Blame variously placed on ad‑funded models, search/SEO, smartphones, app‑store policies, and global platforms’ winner‑take‑all dynamics.

Integrity, Meaning & Leaving the “Bullshit Industrial Complex”

  • Many resonate with the author’s moral exhaustion: producing PR/BS, not believing in their work, or doing “corporate drudgery” like press releases.
  • Some argue integrity means not just exiting but actively exposing manipulation patterns so others can resist.
  • Others are pragmatic: they admire leaving for ethical reasons but admit they’d stay for financial security.

PR, Hype & Ethics

  • PR is variously described as propaganda, “highly optimized bullshit,” and necessary brand strategy.
  • One camp says good marketing co‑creates products and visions (e.g., charismatic founders and brand narratives).
  • Critics stress the thin line between aspirational storytelling and outright fraud (invoking cases where marketing long preceded working tech).