by tejaskumar_ on 12/31/24, 1:34 PM with 80 comments
by x0xrx on 1/1/25, 11:01 AM
Both things are unreasonable. You shouldn’t have to program for fun to get a job. You can be good at it as a profession only. You also should be allowed to love it as a vocation or avocation. That doesn’t make you a sucker.
by cph123 on 1/3/25, 4:58 PM
Since becoming a manager at work less of my time is actual coding, and in the last 6 months or so I have started to code a lot more on my own projects and I'm really enjoying it. It feels like overall there is a certain desire/capacity for it, and if that is getting used up at work, so be it, if not, then it fills up outside of work hours.
Either way, each to their own. Some people would probably love to spend more time coding or on other hobbies but have other commitments like family to consider.
by not2b on 1/3/25, 5:11 PM
by kcartlidge on 1/4/25, 5:42 PM
I love writing software. Over the festive period I wrote a text-based double-entry bookkeeping system with balance sheets and income (p&l) statements. For no reason; I just wanted to.
And that's how it is for me. In my own time I code what I want and purely for pleasure. Sometimes it relates to work, but it is never actual work stuff.
My work-life balance has the usual family aspects, but the main thing for me is making that clear distinction on what my motivation is for what I'm working on. As long the motivation isn't for work benefit that's fine, even if the learning outcome does eventually help there.
by sibeliuss on 1/3/25, 5:12 PM
It's hard for me to "let them be", but I have to, obviously. It creates a lot of internal tension that I can't figure out how to resolve.
by fuzzfactor on 12/31/24, 3:22 PM
Not just coding but other types of technical work might benefit from not ruling this out, especially creative or innovative efforts.
It can really make a difference depending on where you stand in a project environment.
For me it was pretty easy to accept with cargo work where the ships come in at any time 24/7.
Before I started my company I had already gone the extra mile like this for employers when it really made a difference.
So I knew what I was getting into beforehand, I used to say you can run a company OK during business hours alone, but building a company may be the best use of nights & weekends depending on the circumstances.
It took some time but doing it for my own self turned out better after all.
It's not exactly a "super power" but good to have in your arsenal, plus in the right situation you could direct all your focus migrating toward having a 24/7 business that hardly ever requires "after-hours" effort after a while.
by tcoff91 on 1/3/25, 4:53 PM
by htrp on 1/3/25, 5:29 PM
>There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse passenger-coaches twenty or thirty miles on a daily line in the summer because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work, and then they would resign.
Mark Twain
by hnuser123456 on 1/3/25, 4:49 PM
by the_mitsuhiko on 1/3/25, 5:13 PM
> There is a narrative that working hard is inherently bad for your health or that long hours lead to burnout. I disagree. It's not about how many hours you put in, but about the enjoyment and quality of the work you're doing. Still some of my most favorite memories were some all-nighters I did when I was younger working on something. It wasn't even necessarily on projects that ended up meaningful or successful, but it was the act in itself. When you find joy in what you're building in the moment, work does not feel like a burden. Instead it feels exciting and exhilarating. These memories, that some might describe as unhealthy are some of my most pleasant ones.
It’s all about how you feel about it. When you enjoy it, spending nights and weekends can feel great.
[1]: https://lucumr.pocoo.org/2024/12/26/reflecting-on-life/
by Waterluvian on 1/3/25, 4:55 PM
- I recently had an hours-long screenshare with a MMO guild leader showing dozens of spreadsheets. I was bewildered until he said that this is the game for him. This stuff is fun. He loves it. You can love what people call "work."
- I fell into a years-long trap of, "if <activity> is not advancing my career or my family, why would it ever be worth doing?" This led to depression and terrible downwards spiraling of Five Why's of "what's the point of it all?" There's very few ways to live life wrongly. All of them are obvious.
- I just had 2 weeks off where I didn't look at a single line of code. The longest stretch in my career. I was worried I'd come back to work and feel I wasted my time off. But no, it was amazing. My kids are amazing creatures.
by jumski on 1/3/25, 5:54 PM
By the way, have you read Paul Graham's essay "A Project of One's Own" (https://paulgraham.com/own.html)? I really connected with his idea of being a "skater," and I wonder if you might relate to it as well.
by psyclobe on 1/3/25, 9:58 PM
by AndyNemmity on 1/4/25, 7:03 PM
That disconnect is something I'm working on lately. Why do I have so much fun when it's driven by my own desire, but don't enjoy when it's driven by the companies desire.
by lasarkolja on 1/4/25, 8:02 PM
by robotburrito on 1/5/25, 6:33 PM
by ashoeafoot on 1/4/25, 6:13 PM
by mgaunard on 1/3/25, 5:09 PM