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What Problems to Solve (1966)

(genius.cat-v.org)
454 points jxmorris12 | 1 comments | 25 Jun 25 17:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.307s | source
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cocoa19 ◴[25 Jun 25 19:03 UTC] No.44380792[source]▶
This echoes what I have thought about my career. What to work on.

I've been blessed to have a good paying career in software engineering, but I've never really felt passionate about the products I work on. At the end of the day, my job is a paycheck. I do feel joy solving problems for others, improve society, be able to answer colleagues questions when they "come to my office". My family is happy that I can provide and that I am a role model for them.

I sometimes think I should work on things that make me happier. Sometimes I think that my career path is a mistake, I should work on problems "closer to god", make more meaningful contributions, build the next Kubernetes/ChatGPT/Google/<insert revolutionary product>, advance AI, climate change. I end giving up, I'm not that ambitious or driven.

I'm important to my family and colleagues. That may be good enough.

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1. jona777than ◴[25 Jun 25 20:39 UTC] No.44381611[source]▶
> That may be good enough.

I would argue it is.

I have had discussions with peers recently around doing the big flash-y <insert revolutionary product>. An interesting analogy surfaced. The nuts in the studs of the infrastructure of the many structurally sound homes in existence are just as important (meaningful) as the doors, windows, and more flash-y features. They may be _more_ important in some cases. They all make up the home.

It made me realize it might not be all about maximizing ambitious pursuits. Maybe it is more about experiencing the joy of solving the next problem and the fulfillment that comes from simply being needed pretty regularly.