I'm done with coding

Scope of “quitting coding”

• Several commenters note the author hasn’t really quit software, just left big tech to work on their own startup and live off investments.
• Some suggest reframing it as “taking a break” or “changing direction,” warning that absolute statements (“I’m done with coding”) can trap your identity even if you later change your mind.

Ethics of surveillance and dividends

• Many praise the decision to refuse work on surveillance-oriented tooling and to walk away despite pay and prestige.
• Others argue that almost all modern tech jobs involve some form of surveillance/analytics; avoiding it entirely is extremely costly and limits options.
• A subset criticizes relying on dividends from the same surveillance-capitalism company just left on moral grounds, calling it inconsistent unless the stock is sold and reinvested in more-aligned businesses.
• Counterpoint: in capitalism, “no ethical consumption” applies broadly; total purity may be impossible.

Money, privilege, and pressure

• Some say it’s “easy to say no” when you already have savings, stock, or family money; moral stands are less impressive if nothing material is at risk.
• Others push back that pressure isn’t only financial (family expectations, identity, burnout), and sharing this publicly still takes courage.

Family, culture, and neurodivergence

• The mother’s comments (“you’re lucky,” “you won’t survive at a smaller company,” neurodivergence worries) resonate with others who faced similar parental pressure, especially in status- and income-focused cultures.
• Multiple neurodivergent commenters say small companies or startups actually suited them better than big, bureaucratic environments, despite the common narrative that big companies are “safer.”

Big tech work culture and burnout

• Many recount soul-crushing experiences at large companies: endless email, meetings, politics, and hypersensitivity to hierarchy; some left FAANG despite high pay and were happier with lower-comp roles.
• There’s frustration with corporate hypocrisy: being forced to feign enthusiasm for products (especially “human metrics” tools like Viva Insights) that feel dystopian or pointless.

Alternatives to big-tech coding

• Suggestions include nonprofits, public-interest infrastructure (e.g., privacy tech), academia, or indie internet businesses.
• One long subthread argues that owning small online businesses can match or replace a software salary over a few years, especially if you buy existing assets/traffic.
• Others talk about using skills to build privacy-preserving tools or agent-side defenses against tracking and ads.

Changing relationship to coding & AI

• Some echo the desire to quit or step back, citing AI tools eroding motivation and “flow.”
• Others emphasize coding can still be joyful on one’s own terms (side projects, small startups), even if corporate software work has become intolerable.