Ask HN: Who is quitting? (July 2026)
Engineers and tech workers are increasingly quitting or considering quitting amid burnout, AI hype, toxic management, and a sense that much day‑to‑day work has become meaningless theater. Many describe taking sabbaticals, switching to trades or non-tech jobs, or building their own products instead, while others feel trapped by mortgages, dependents, or a weak hiring market. A recurring tension emerges between the financial privilege required to walk away and the moral or psychological cost of staying, with some choosing lower pay or simpler lives over contributing to products or cultures they see as unethical or absurd.
Who is quitting and why
- Many posters have already quit, are about to, or think about it daily; a minority say they cannot quit due to mortgages, kids, or weak job markets.
- Common push factors: burnout, loss of meaning, “theater” processes (SCRUM, OKRs, performance reviews) detached from useful work, and feeling like code and craft no longer matter.
- Some leave because products feel morally dubious (e.g., gambling funnels) or aligned with rent-seeking rather than value.
- Toxic culture is a major theme: abusive or incompetent managers, credit-stealing, scapegoating engineers for unrealistic deadlines, and absentee or part‑time leadership.
AI and “agentic” absurdity
- Many explicitly cite AI as the breaking point: “AI‑first” mandates, pressure to use agents everywhere, token‑usage KPIs, and executives assuming LLMs make everyone 10× faster.
- Complaints include: code reviews and documents generated by bots, coworkers pasting AI output they don’t understand, and AI used to justify tighter deadlines and fewer engineers.
- Some are excited about applied AI/automation and leave to work with it on their own terms, but several refuse to work where AI is forced into safety‑critical or unsuitable contexts.
Burnout, health, and ethics
- Several describe severe burnout, mental health crashes, or health fears from chronic stress and 12‑hour coverage shifts.
- One person’s disability (partial loss of sight) effectively ended their tech career.
- Older workers report decades of “management chaos,” feeling that care and responsibility have declined.
Privilege, risk, and money
- Strong debate over whether being able to quit is “privilege” or “basic fiscal responsibility.”
- Some couples live far below their means so one partner can quit; others say most people cannot realistically build such buffers.
- Multiple posters emphasize the brutal job market and suggest only quitting with another job lined up or at least 12 months of runway.
Life after quitting
- Common paths: sabbaticals, indie hacking/bootstrapped SaaS, hardware/robotics experiments, games, OSS, teaching, trades (butchery, mechanics), EMT work, music, and long bike or travel trips.
- Results vary: some now cover their bills with solo projects; others burned savings and are returning to employment or freelancing.
- Many report greater happiness, time for family, and renewed curiosity, even while anxious about re‑entering tech later or long‑term financial security.