Time and again, I encounter posts, people, who believe that they are sick of programming and can’t wait to retire to do something worthwhile (farming, traveling, for eg). Maybe they are and programming was just an ill-suited career, but higher chance that they’re not actually sick of programming, but fed up with:
- Bureaucratical bullshit to get simple things done
- Lack of product vision where everyone from sales to marketing to support is driving it.
- Lack of ownership in product; the inability to effect a positive change.
- Pointless meetings and discussions.
- Process, procedures, having the upper-hand, and getting things done taking a back-seat.
Or maybe, they just need a break and do something different. Even renowned artists, writers hit a block and must work hard to replenish their motivation.
Speaking from personal experience, the burnout stage can skew our perspective unfavorably. It can make us overlook programming’s immense potential for creative fulfillment and underestimate hurdles in other pursuits. Farming, for instance, while enjoyable for a few weeks, can be incredibly taxing (both mentally and physically) in the long run. Perhaps, it would serve anyone better to fix why they’re failing to realize the creative potential of programming vs. throwing it all away.