I am retiring from tech to live offline

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reactions to Leaving Tech and Going Offline

  • Many readers empathize with the desire to leave tech, citing fatigue with AI hype, constant connectivity, and “whatever this is now” versus the earlier, more enjoyable web.
  • Some admire the move to a modest retail job as “walking the talk,” others see it as enabled by significant financial and career privilege.
  • A few question the performative aspects of announcing an “offline” life via a heavily produced online letter and social posts; defenders argue a public figure owes a clear sign‑off to communities and projects.

Burnout, Management, and Late-Stage Tech Culture

  • Repeated themes: exhaustion from “max shareholder value” culture, endless process (Scrum, metrics, planning boards), unrealistic deadlines, and arbitrary reorgs.
  • Several long‑time developers report retiring early or wanting to, not from coding itself but from corporate politics, perf reviews, layoffs, and “do more with less.”
  • Some argue the real problem is MBAs/execs and VC‑driven hype, not technology per se.

AI’s Impact on Software Work

  • Strong split:
    • Pro‑AI: says tools remove drudgery, speed up boilerplate, and boost productivity without necessarily lowering quality if used carefully.
    • Anti‑/ambivalent: feel AI hollowed out the craft, turned them into “AI wranglers,” worsened anxiety, and is being forced by management via usage tracking and expectations of 10x output.
  • Concerns about “AI slop” code, overreliance by weaker devs, and long‑term robustness of systems; some predict niches where non‑AI workflows will survive, others think they’ll dry up.

Career Changes, Trades, and Financial Independence

  • Many fantasize about switching to trades (plumbing, electrical, mechanic, garbage collection, teaching) or rural living; those with kids debate timing and risk.
  • Counterpoints: retail/blue‑collar work can be physically hard, poorly paid, and low‑autonomy; some who tried it went back to tech or self‑employment.
  • Strong advice to younger devs: live below your means, save heavily, and aim for financial optionality (whether labeled “FIRE” or just humble living).

Open Source, Community, and “Old vs New Guard”

  • Several note the author’s prior OSS sustainability efforts and see his departure as a bad sign for open source health.
  • Complaints about OSS politics, entitlement, and now AI‑generated low‑quality PRs; calls for a “sexy revitalization” of OSS with new models for collaboration and funding.

Offline / Neo-Amish Ideals and Critiques

  • Some are inspired by “neo‑Amish”/1980s‑tech minimalism, smartphone‑free living, and print‑only projects as a path back to human‑scale tech.
  • Others criticize romanticizing isolated tribes and violence, and question whether full retreat is necessary versus selectively discarding surveillance, social media, and addictive patterns.
  • Accessibility concern: posting a scanned image of a letter without text is called out as unfriendly to visually impaired readers.