Ask HN: Best Job for Old Burned-Out Developer?

7 nlowman 3 7/29/2025, 12:01:54 PM
What job would you recommend for someone whose only job has ever been coding, but who can no longer code, and really isn’t well-suited for anything else?

For example, no resource I’ve found finds a match for:

Slow, out-of-shape, no hand-eye-coordination, weak and damaged joints, incapable of following directions, no common sense, unreliable for doing manual labor.

Both has PTSD about technology and wants to doomstalk it. Would rather be attempting to poorly code something than interact with others or plan, but gets bored and distracted with coding and will get caught up responding to someone and researching for hours.

Incapable of planning consistently or ever for some periods of time. Has been-there-done-that about estimation and would rather sit and listen than get involved, but will rant periodically or make small important comments no one listens to, because no one can understand. Remembers some details but cannot hear or process information they see or hear often.

Suffers from depression, ADD, OCD, talks to themselves, some psychosis, generally neurodiverse. Co-workers often don’t want to interact with or work with them.

Must make a large salary.

Comments (3)

therealpygon · 1d ago
I mean this in the nicest way; you don’t need a job that fits your preferences, you need a therapist, maybe some medication, and mostly to stop making excuses.

Seriously, I mean that in a heartfelt way and I’m someone in not much different situation and experience with similar and other alphabet soup of afflictions I could blame and I have blamed. We all have problems, the question is really what you’re doing about them because no one really cares that we have them.

gbjw · 23h ago
Whoosh.
iwanttocomment · 1d ago
I just want a job where I don't ever have to be on Slack after-hours, work only 8.5 hours a day, and don't have to pretend to use the boss' terrible AI-du-jour they're trying to replace me with.

Guess I'm out of a career.