Ask HN: Better places to work for burntout SWE?

Posted by conqrr 15 hours ago

I've tried my share of startups and megacorps, FAANGs. I am in a stage where I cringe on hearing a mission is so important that it needs a 996 culture. I also hate work getting stolen in the name of collaboration and politics in general thats daily business in Megacorps. I just want to bang out code, mentor juniors and deliver value in a small team that doesn't have an unhealthy obsession with growth or overworking. Maybe with rich founders who don't want to get more rich.

Where can I find good places to work, especially in the US that offer: 1. Remote first setting 2. Mission oriented like Privacy, non-profit background etc (or Open Source with proven history) 3. Holocracy/Flat structure

I think the above 3 criteria will really narrow down places that prioritize mission over growth/profits and automatically not pay a lot yet have a higher technical bar that deters a lot of folks who would end up optimizing for things that lead to a mess. Am I looking for a Unicorn?

Comments

Comment by gnatman 15 hours ago

It’s ok to search for a unicorn! Writing out a list of criteria for your ideal role, and seeking out companies that meet your criteria, actually gives you an advantage. When I interviewed at my current position I had just such a list, and sharing how much I cared about working for a company like that made me (they said later) an obvious choice over others they’d met with in spite of my qualifications falling short in some areas. Even if it takes some time, it will be worth the effort.

Comment by conqrr 15 hours ago

Thanks, were you ready to take a paycut for better criteria? If yes, how did it work out and how do you deal with the FOMO?

Comment by christophilus 15 hours ago

If you can find a small company that is in maintenance mode, or that wants to build something new with you as the sole technician, those can be very low-key, restful workplaces. I’ve been contracting at such a place for 5 years now. My contract is being reduced to part time in Feb 2026, though, so I’ll be looking for a supplemental contract, or else I’ll be spinning up a new business.

Comment by conqrr 15 hours ago

Seems like a useful criteria. I do enjoy a lot of slow migration work too as long the older systems arent too obscure. How did you go about finding such a company?

Comment by tartoran 15 hours ago

Try City/Government IT. It may not be fun but you'll have some more predictability/stability but prepare for a paycut.

Comment by reliefcrew 11 hours ago

In the entire history of the world, no one with a choice ever bought anything from the government because they thought the government's offering was superior to that available on the free market.

Please, if you know of an example feel free to provide it. In fact, the government does not actually produce anything at all... not a single product or service. People only buy things from the government when they are coerced.

Even the very best governments out source everything and just keep graft to a minimum. So, working for the government is basically admitting you're unable to compete and need a handout. I'd consider changing careers before a move into the public sector. If you're burning out, just take a break and learn to pace yourself better.

Comment by tartoran 9 hours ago

You're wildly hallucinating, are you an LLM? Whatever you produce in Government/City IT is a service. Working for the Government is somewhat more stable, you don't have rank and file or any other needless churn and squeezing for profit. You do get fired from these positions if you don't perform but the workload is not as insane as on the private markets. You call that a handout? That's quite a strange notion but by all means go and compete as much as you want.

Comment by reliefcrew 6 hours ago

> You're wildly hallucinating, are you an LLM?

Lol, am I? Ok I'll ignore the ad hominem and simply ask again for an example of something you'd rather buy from the government than the free market?

New car? New phone? Clothes? Meal at a restaurant? The only thing that comes remotely close is the mail. And let's face it, important things go via UPS, FedEx, and now more and more by Amazon delivery truck.

> Working for the Government is somewhat more stable, you don't have rank and file or any other needless churn and squeezing for profit.

Of course not, because they don't _need_ to make a profit... they're predatory. If they don't make a profit they demand capital from you anyway at the point of a gun. The only reason people get fired is due to politics.

History has proven this time and time again. It's difficult, but try to be objective.

Give a single good example of what you'd rather buy from the government?

Comment by reliefcrew 6 hours ago

> by all means go and compete as much as you want

Just for clarification, competing isn't preferred because it's easier... IDK if it is or not. Competing, however, does not conflict with my ethics.

IOW, if the government deputized me to carry a gun and go around demanding people buy things from me or do as I instructed, I would decline.

Comment by zephen 8 hours ago

Randians gonna Rand.

When "starve the beast" wasn't killing government fast enough, they pivoted to "we need to make sure it's incompetent, corrupt, and distrusted one way or another."