Ask HN: Bedridden for 3 months. Time to pivot?

10 points paralyzedtime | 4 comments | 13 Mar 25 17:04 UTC | HN request time: 0.647s | source

After a decade as a full-stack developer (mostly back-end CRUD work, nothing cutting-edge), I'm now on medical leave and mostly bedridden, while I get treatment for a moderately serious condition.

That means I'll be on leave for at least 3 months.

While I’m grateful to have a fully paid medical leave for the entirety of my absence, I'm also terrified about what it means for my current job.

My company laid off a significant percentage of my colleagues over the past couple of years, and I'm afraid my role will be at risk after having someone take over my responsibilities and contributions for such a prolonged period.

Therefore, I don't want to waste this time.

My goal is to retrain into a high-specialization, future-resistant field, ideally adjacent to AI/ML, since that’s where the momentum (and compensation) seems to be.

My background: - 10 years in software dev (Java/Spring, Python, some React). - Comfortable with algorithms, databases, distributed systems. - Zero ML/AI experience beyond basic Coursera dabbling.

Constraints: - 3 months of ~4hrs/day study time. Prefer self-guided resources (books, MOOCs, OSS projects). - Targeting roles that aren’t easily automated (e.g., niches where human expertise + technical depth matter).

What specialized subfields of AI/ML (or adjacent domains) would you prioritize? (E.g., reinforcement learning, MLops, AI safety, etc.)

What concrete resources (courses, books, codebases) would you recommend for a fast ramp-up?

Are there lesser-known niches (e.g., quant-focused ML, robotics, etc.) where a software vet could pivot quickly?

No sugarcoating: if this is unrealistic, don't hesitate to say so. But if you’ve successfully pivoted into AI/ML (or know someone who did), I’d love to hear your battle plan.

PS: I'll also appreciate any recommendations on any gear/devices that facilitate using a laptop while on bed.

1. codingdave ◴[16 Mar 25 13:49 UTC] No.43379078[source]▶
I don't have much advice on the tech front, but I have had enough health problems to know how to work while recovering from something traumatic.

My #1 advice is that instead of being bedridden, become recliner-ridden. Get a La-Z-Boy brand recliner on a swivel base. You can turn to face into your desk to work, turn away from the desk to lie back and sleep, and that brand specifically has a unique mechanism that lets you adjust how far it reclines based on the angle you were sitting at when you raise the legs. So you can adapt the seat angle for working vs. resting vs. sleeping.

Adjust your desk height so that the arms barely fit under it... then you can get decent ergonomics to have your keyboard close enough to your body that you aren't stretching your arms too far when working.

2. fdlaks ◴[17 Mar 25 01:46 UTC] No.43384413[source]▶
I would firstly make sure you are recovering from your condition during your medical leave my friend.

My strongest advice to you would be to not burn the candle at both ends during this time, and to rest and relax without worrying about what the future holds. It's often only in times of respite that one truly understands what they want to pursue in the future.

Ask yourself if you're embarking on this new career path out of intrigue or necessity. If you're doing this because you're worried where your next paycheck is going to come from in 3 months, then allow yourself the time to think clearly about what you actually want to be doing instead of where you think the industry is going, what jobs will be available, etc...

If you're genuinely interested in AI/ML topics then by all means go for it, but don't think you are "wasting time" by not studying whatever is hot right now because it will always become a back-end CURD work, nothing cutting edge situation if you're not interested in what you do.

I'm only giving you this advice because no where in your post did I see any mention about genuine interest in any of the topics you mentioned, my read on your situation from this post is that you are worried about your eligibility of employment and want to avoid being left behind once AI takes everyone else's lunches.

If it's any consultation I think we are actually very far away from that happening and the vast majority of people who say otherwise have a financial position at stake unless they can get you to think that as well.

TLDR: relax and take some time to think about what you actually want to do vs what is going to be able to get you a job in a few months time, you will be much happier in the long run for it. I know a lot of Crypto / Web3 people who could not wait to get into the space 2 years ago but now are desperately trying to get out after rebranding themselves. Not saying that AI is like this completely, but again know thyself before making any big career moves like this.

3. scarface_74 ◴[17 Mar 25 21:04 UTC] No.43392723[source]▶
Three or four months? My cynical advice is to “grind leetcode”.

Nothing you can learn as a full stack developer will yield you greater returns in a short amount of time than putting yourself in a position to work for companies that pay top of market.