Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

How People Interpret the Question

  • Some read it as “money no object, what’s your dream life?”
  • Others assume tech has vanished (e.g. due to AI) and you still need to earn a living.
  • A few answer as “if I could rewind 20 years, what path would I choose instead?”

Pull Toward Physical, Tangible Work

  • Strong recurring desire for “building real things”: construction, carpentry, cabinet/boat building, house painting, civil engineering, land surveying, welding, machining, CNC, auto repair.
  • Many emphasize the satisfaction of visible, tangible results versus abstract software work.
  • Several did these jobs in youth and remember them fondly, but see pay, risk, and physical wear as major downsides.

Food, Farming, and Hands-On Crafts

  • Cooking/baking/chef is one of the most popular alternatives; people highlight creativity, direct service to others, and immediate feedback.
  • Multiple mentions of regenerative farming, vineyards/orchards, forestry, lumberjacking, chicken farms, and general agriculture, often framed as deeply fulfilling but poorly paid and risky.
  • Carpentry and woodworking are idealized “if money didn’t matter” careers.

Caring Professions, Teaching, and Academia

  • Interest in medicine (especially oncology, neurosurgery), psychology, speech-language pathology, and other health roles, but age, energy, debt, and admissions barriers deter midlife switches.
  • Many would teach: math, science, English, computer science, or kids in general; some already do.
  • Others lean toward physics, history, archaeology, philosophy, or psychology research, again often blocked by money and time.

Arts, Creativity, and Odd Paths

  • Writing (fiction, film, horror), music, audio engineering, photography, cinema, tech art, activism, sex work, and “making strange instruments” appear as meaningful alternatives.
  • Some dream of community spaces: video stores, tutoring/play centers, dog-park cafés, beach stands, theaters, or “hangouts for misfits.”

Trades, Money, and Tech’s Shadow

  • Trades like electrician, plumbing, and mechanics are seen as relatively AI-resistant and sometimes lucrative, but also physically punishing and inconsistent.
  • A few note tech saturates everything: even blue-collar and “escape” careers end up adjacent to data centers, AI, or digital tools.
  • Underneath many answers is tension between passion, physical limits, family obligations, and financial reality; some admit they might be NEET or worse without tech.