How booring. Has there really not been anything fun and exciting in any of your nine jobs?
Of course there have been things that are fun and interesting but I don't drone on about it, pretending it is like I am getting paid to drink at a bar and flirt.
Like building a product so well made that it makes people say “I’ve searched for 15 years for this product”;
Like watching this self-absorbed geek grow from a 40-yo single to a polished mannered person with a girlfriend.
I mean no-one is excited to build an accounting software, but I’m excited when people grow. Actually, I’ve once heard that an army of psychologists will never take a man out of depression, but give them a hammer and they’ll get to work, get recognition and gain positive experiences. And the opposite: Being barred from working, from giving your labour, to a company that appreciates it, is an extenuating experience for men.
The fact that software is a "product" and not a "collective resource" tends to put a damper on that enthusiasm. After two decades in the industry it's abundantly clear we're condemned to rewrite the same software over and over again in the name of profits—a colossal waste of humanity's efforts.
I’ve gone back years later to a couple of ex-workplaces and seen with my own eyes how those uncertain (or over-certain ;-) folks are in their power and confidence and capability. Others I run into in professional settings and get feedback from others about them not just being great people but awesome professionals.
Knowing you’ve smoothed the way, helped out with existential fears, fed growth of good people when they needed it is the most awesome part of my career. Better even than much of what the paychecks bought me - blurry photos, fatty-liver and electronics in landfill.
Personally I find joy in two different settings
- the hard problems, where I have to go for a walk around the apartment, and think about it when I shover. These are rare.
- putting on some music, pouring myself some coffee, and just coding up something relatively easy while in the flow. Making something which did not exist before.