I've spent the last year planning my exit strategy. I moved to somewhere with a lower cost of living. I lowered my expenses. I prepared to live on a fraction of my income.
Then I quit my job as a Principal Software Engineer for a major tech company. They offered me a promotion, I said no. I have zero plans of ever getting another job in this industry.
I love coding. I love making software. I love solving complex problems. But I hate the industry and everything it's become. It's 99% nonsense and it manufactures stress solely for the sake of manufacturing stress. It damages people, mentally. It's abusive.
I won't discourage anyone from pursuing a career in software, but I will encourage everyone who does to have an exit plan from day one. One day, you'll realize that you're rotting from the inside out.
