Posted by johnathandos 2 days ago
Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
If it were just for my own care-free leisure and benefit, I would probably go to school again and try some other academic path in math, physics or history. Or rekindle my CS study and do a phd - so many different interesting topics.
In the real world, as a parent with a huge mortgage? Pretty much anything. Janitorial work, insurance agent, landscaping, whatever.
When I’m retired I plan to get a part-time job as an usher at a theater, arena, concert hall, or stadium.
Another good option is to get a really low-stress job at a tropical resort. I can imagine running a little stand that rents out umbrellas and chairs on a beach. Or maybe walking around the beach selling ice cream out of a cart.
I also could end up being happy in condensed matter physics, astrophysics, robotics, materials science, nano tech, optics, or RF. Some combination of engineering and science.
I love teaching and building things to help people. So there are a bunch of areas that would fit the bill here. I gravitate towards any tech that feels like magic.
I could and I do daytrade options, which however is more tech than tech itself, whether by hand or by a bot.
I would however like to be a consulting speaker, but the research for it can't really be done without a steady and heavy dose of tech.
If I had to pivot in 2025, I’d probably go for psychology. I’m interested in that, I enjoy the idea of more directly helping people and have myself been tremendously helped by psychologists the past years.