Comment by soneca | Hacker News Reader

Comment by soneca | Hacker News Reader

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I agree with you, but I appreciate that people on HN talk like this because then I am presented to this world of privileges. It shows to me that this world exists and I might benefit from it. That happened to me.

Instead of anchoring myself to what Brazilian companies pay for developers, I focused on getting a remote job at a US company. One that would anchor themselves among their peers around SV, LA, NY. Now I earn about 12x more than when I started as a junior when I started 5 years ago. I earn about 3x more than if I was lucky to get the best paying job for my experience level here in my city.

This 3x salary increase is very related to knowing that this privileged world existed, which is mainly HN’s fault in my case.

Bear in mind that I am not earning close to USD200k (but six digits). I learned around here that FAANG salaries exists, but then I decided that those are not for me. But that’s a conscious decision. A much better position of not even knowing this exists.

Whitexican problems we call it here in Mexico: I'm in a similar position. 6 digit USD salary while living in Mexico. My problem is that I've been wanting to setup a business: real life like a gym, a store or similar.

The issue is that there's no way I'll get as much money as what I'm earning now... and I know building the business will require insurmountable efforts.

So I'm reduced to keep working in IT, wait until my good luck ends and hopefully be able to retire around 45

You are not "reduced" to do that. You are making that choice, that's all. Nobody is forcing you. If you badly wanted to create a business, you'd just go ahead and do it.

> > will require insurmountable efforts

regardless of whether or not you believe it's just "making that choice," completely discrediting somebody's claim the effort is insurmountable _to them_ makes you a breaker of Rule 1

Well it is objectively surmountable and if it personally isn’t to them that means that the money is more important to them than achieving that goal to make a business. I don’t see how this isn’t a choice? “I’m not doing it since the insecurity of not having a high income is scarier than my desire to open a business”

That said I do bet that if you try to do your thing and it really doesn’t work out you probably can go back to software afterwards if you’re open to the risk of burning through your savings in the process.

Because putting food on the table so your family can eat isn’t a choice. Don’t have savings to burn through as you do that? Then it’s not a choice.

Just one example.

Morality may not be objective, but it surely isn’t just personal either. That’s what makes it a nuanced discussion, and not just a choice one makes.

By deciding you want to do that in the future but first you need to save, are you deprioritizing it, or prioritizing it indirectly?

Most people in his country put food on family table without US-level software developer salary. It's hard to lower expectations of life quality, but let's not dramatize.

Isn't everyone nitpicking at the word "insurmountable" :-)

What if it wasn't meant to be taken literally

Lol i came back to my comment and saw this thread... English is not my first language so you are right, I'm sorry my choice of word got people worked up.

Or find an extremely trusted local who also wants to start a business and bankroll them.

The extremely trusted is the hard part.

Off-topic, but are you the bombcar of GTNH fame?

If it can be called fame, heh.

I am curious… why do you want to start a business? It seems like so much work for less pay. Why is the option of working until you retire early a bad thing?

Not the OP but I'd love to do something that contributes to the local community in a more tangible way than my current $BIGTECH job. I'd love to start a dance studio, a cafe/bookstore, a makerspace. But it'd be a huge pay cut, assuming I could even make a successful business out of it.

Your paying higher taxes contributes likely more to the community than another store.

Your paying a local charity usually does much more to the community than even running a gym.

If you run a store or a cafe by just paying locals to work in it, using a part of your high wages, it's pretty helpful. But see the charity above; maybe it's better to support e.g. educators.

In general, your community is never better off if you suddenly become poorer.

Using the money to pay others to start more local schools, maybe a free coding bootcamp (with entrance tests), maybe maybe could be a high impact thing to do?

Or a charity yes (unless of course it's sth like a SPA for dogs)

Taxes contribute to government, not community. Agree with the charity option.

It's just because I've been working in Technology all my life. I've got a PhD in CompSci, I've grown the tech teams of 2 startups, I've worked in different areas... and I just dont really find it that fulfilling anymore. The pay is outrageously good... but at this point it's mainly just that. After 20 years of doing it, it just isnt the same.

Maybe it's just the "midlife crisis"

I used to be told:

The first 25 years to improve yourself

The second 25 years to improve your family

The third 25 years to improve your community

The final 25 years to improve everyone

It sounds like you're just reaching the third stage of life :-)

> Instead of anchoring myself to what Brazilian companies pay for developers, I focused on getting a remote job at a US company. One that would anchor themselves among their peers around SV, LA, NY.

Ridiculously smart move. Congratulations.

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