Ask HN: I want to leave tech: what do I do?

What “Leaving Tech” Really Means

• Many argue the article is mis-titled: it’s about leaving big-tech/private-sector grind and bullshit, not about abandoning technical work.
• “Tech” is seen as a method all orgs use; you can’t really leave technology, only change who you use it for and under what conditions.
• Core desire is more ownership, ethics, and less harm, not necessarily a non-technical life.

Staying Technical in Different Contexts

• Suggestions: work as a developer at non-tech firms (manufacturing, optics, universities, embedded systems, small/medium businesses) where products are tangible and less socially harmful.
• Public institutions, universities, and nonprofits can offer better purpose and lower intensity; multiple people report these as their happiest jobs.
• Others report the opposite: government and NGOs described as bureaucratic, political, nepotistic, and often more dysfunctional than corporates.

Ethics, Harm, and Disillusionment

• Strong theme: high-paying roles often feel like they “directly damage humanity” (surveillance, manipulation, financialization).
• Some note there are big-tech roles with clear public benefit (security, OSS, infrastructure), but they’re scarce.
• Debate over whether exploitation is uniquely a tech problem or a general property of capitalism; some argue the “privileges” of tech rely on participating in extraction.

Money, Lifestyle Traps, and FIRE

• Major blocker to leaving: tech pay far exceeds most alternatives; many feel “trapped” by mortgages, kids, healthcare, and high-COL cities.
• FIRE and variants (save aggressively, downsize, buy land, live off investments) are discussed; many point out this is only realistic for a minority, especially in the US.
• Disagreement on how hard it is to cut spending: some say tech workers are unwilling to sacrifice lifestyle; others stress irreversibility and risk if a lower-paying path fails.

Non-Tech Alternatives and Trades

• Paths mentioned: trades (plumber, carpenter, electrician, handyman), med school, physiotherapy, rural small businesses, specialty retail.
• Acknowledged downsides: capital intensity, physical demands, licensing, ceiling on income, and real business failure risk.

Quality of Work vs Pay

• Several note a strong correlation: underpaid jobs tend to be more toxic, with weaker coworkers (“Dead Sea effect”) and worse management.
• Some mid-sized “steady” companies and charities are reported as especially frustrating (IT as cost center, waste, politics).
• Others counter that carefully chosen public-service IT or mission-driven roles can be satisfying, even with substantial pay cuts.